Love.

Not to get sappy but Valentine’s Day is coming up, and it’s time to… get sappy. 💕

I know this morning maybe you looked in the mirror and noticed a grey hair or wrinkle you wished you hadn’t. (I did.) And, maybe your fitness goals are still to be achieved at some point down the line. (Mine are.) So, now might not seem like the time to get photos taken.

But think about this: How did you look 10 years ago? Do you wish you could have it back? 🕰 And, if so, imagine yourself 10 years in the future… you’ll be wishing you had your photo taken today!

A lot of people shrug this off when I tell them this. But I’m telling you from what people tell me. I’ve been taking photos full time for 12 years, and part time for another 8 years before that. I can’t tell you how many times people tell me 5 or 10 years later, “I’m so happy I have this shot of me from that time.”

Us humans are funny creatures. We scrutinize in the present, worry about the future, long to go back to the past.

But there’s something we forget in all of this. Love.

Our most intimate relationships reflect who we are right now — they bring out the best, at times, at least. The dynamics we share with the people around us help us to find love for one another and for ourselves.

When someone loves you, they don’t see the one additional grey hair in the mirror the way you do. If you have kids or pets, it’s wonderful to see yourself through their eyes — as a proper hero or heroine! 🐶🐱👫

In the pilot episode of Z: The Beginning of Everything, F. Scott Fitzgerald writes a love letter for a friend where he calls the woman’s smile, “glorious.” The friend says, “But her smile isn’t glorious. It’s kind of crooked.”

Fitzgerald says, “She’ll believe that you think it’s glorious. Which will make her feel glorious, which will make her smile be, in fact, more glorious.”

Those people in your life that make you feel glorious, do you let them? Do you let yourself shine a little bit more because you are loved?

If not, it’s nearly Valentine’s Day, so I think it’s time.

The thing is, the camera captures energy. So, if you let the light in the eyes of the ones who love you reflect back and light up your entire being, the camera will notice. 📸 Vitality is radiant on camera and no wrinkle or blemish can take that away.

Don’t believe me? Look back on an occasion when you felt amazing or happy or proud, and find a picture of you. Often even if the lighting is bad or the picture has other flaws, you can still see and feel the good energy exuding from yourself.

During this time of celebrating love, why not let yourself shine, and capture it on film? There will be no way to go back 10 years from now, so do it now as a love letter you’re sending to your future self.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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