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Maxeen Kim Photography, Why Photographs Matter, Destination Wedding Photographer, Family Photographer, Cyprus, Paphos

Something happened to me in Cyprus that I have never experienced before… I visited a place called Sea You Beach Bar. It’s a laid back and relaxed little spot located at Potima Bay on the road towards Coral Bay and is literally on the beach, in a cluster of palm trees.

Aside from the fact that everything in the beach bar is blue and white (my favourite colours), I loved that they had wind chimes and mobiles hanging from palm trees, a massage cabana and (my favourite part of all) HAMMOCKS! I spent a day hanging out in a hammock – as you do! – and felt the strange sensation that I was remembering something. But it was more than that… I felt like I was feeling a memory… I had never been to Cyprus before though.

Then it hit me! My dad was a surfer. Growing up he would wake me up in the early morning, drive down and park his car at a backpackers on the beach called The Spot, pop me in a hammock with an orange juice and go for a surf. Afterwards we would go swimming and have breakfast. I spent HOURS in a hammock on that beach… And it looked so much like where I was sitting in Cyprus.

Maxeen Kim Photography, Why Photographs Matter, Destination Wedding Photographer, Family Photographer, Cyprus, Paphos

The thing is, we take selfies – but inevitably half of someone’s face is cut off or we just look awkward as we’re trying to push the button. We go on family holidays with the kids… but someone’s always left out of the photo as they need to take it… Or we try to pose each other and make everyone smile – but it almost always looks forced.

Truthfully, my favourite family photos are the ones where my grandparents were trying to take a group shot of our family. I love the ones where we’re ‘almost’ ready. The ones taken a fraction of a second early, where we’re laughing or mum is picking us up to move us into place. The natural ones. The real ones. The actual memories.

This is why having photos taken by a professional is important. Someone who will capture the memories as they happen. It’s the opportunity for no one to be left out and for everyone in the family to enjoy some time together doing something that make you as a family who you are. Because these are the photographs that your children will treasure.

It is this very fact that’s behind the reason why one of my favourite photo’s of my dad and I is a grainy, under exposed shot of us in a hammock when I was about 1. He’s smiling, I look confused but it’s this photo that makes my heart ache for a time when I was tiny. A time when all I had to worry about was going out to play in the sun. This was the memory I missed when I was sitting in a hammock in Cyprus. This is why photographs matter.

Maxeen Kim Photography, Why Photographs Matter, Destination Wedding Photographer, Family Photographer, Cyprus, Paphos

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Comments
Caitlin

This is so true Max! Especially for families who live on the opposite sides of the world. For me and my family its the memories made during those few days together that keep me going for the months (and sometimes years!) apart. Beautiful relaxed photos and not awkward long armed selfies would help so much!

Beautiful and touching. I have tears in my eyes. Thank you for sharing xx

MaxeenKim

Thank you Danielle, I’m so glad you like the post. xx

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