Visual Diary

I've tried many times in the past to keep a personal written diary or journal. I would love to document the events in my life and keep a record of it all. But as much as I've tried, I am not disciplined enough to keep writing.

near the summit of Guadalupe Peak

Several weeks ago, I got a new phone with a camera in it. It's a low quality 2-megapixel camera that's even worse than the first digital camera (also 2-MP) that I bought 8 years ago. But for the first time in my life, I have an accessible camera with me at all times (because my phone is always with me).

What I've discovered is, despite the poor technical quality, I use this on-phone camera on a daily basis. I can whip the thing out and snap a pic in little time. The ease of use is primarily the reason why I'm taking photos often.

The result is that I'm creating somewhat of a visual diary of my life. These little snapshots capture seemingly ordinary events, but stuff that I will want to remember (like taking the kids on an evening bike ride or trying a new beer that I might want to buy again).

This isn't new and I'm coming very late to this new technology. But it's new to me and I'm enjoying it. The other benefit I'm enjoying is being able to send these phone shots via message to other people.

Regarding the photo above, it's a phone-photo snap I took just after we left Guadalupe Peak last weekend. I took it so that I could send it and quickly share it with other people back home. It did feel a little weird because I had my proper camera gear with me at the time :-) But it was a great moment in time to capture and share instantly.