An Ode to My Digital Camera 📸

I have loved taking photos since I was a little girl.

I used to sneak my parents' camera into the woods and photograph the sunlight filtering through the trees. 🌲 I definitely got in trouble for wasting film (oops 😅), but I just couldn't believe how beautiful the world was. I wanted to capture it somehow. Looking back, I realize it's something I've always done.

Then I grew up, and our cameras moved onto our phones.

Now, every time you pick up your phone, there's a notification, a message, a call—someone or something asking for your attention. Somewhere along the way, taking photos became less joyful.

For me, photography has always been a way to be present. It's an invitation to slow down and truly notice what's in front of me. And later, those photos become little treasures, allowing me to relive moments that took my breath away—or even the ordinary moments that quietly felt like miracles.

Over the years, I found myself reaching for my ancient little digital cameras again. They're just... different. They have soul. It's hard to explain, but they capture people and places in a way my phone never quite can. Maybe it's because everyone knows the photos aren't meant for social media. They're not being taken for likes or algorithms. They're simply memories.

This year, for my birthday, I received a new digital camera, and it has brought me so much joy. 🤍 I've been photographing my family, our animals, nature, and all the little moments in between. I don't even mind when people give me funny looks in public as I wander around with my tiny camera. It makes me smile every time.

There is something magical about that little camera.

I'm so grateful for the nostalgia it brings and for the wholesome, love-filled moments it captures. Moments that don't need to be posted or shared with the world. They're just for us. Just because life is beautiful.

There's something comforting about preserving a moment without notifications, without filters, without distractions—just life, raw and unfiltered, frozen in time.

And to me... that's magic. 🪄

on a magical winter walk, disconnected from my phone, and connected to mother nature

The Raven that watches over the bus stop

having a fire with the family totally at peace