I often get asked about the name of my business (how I chose it and why). Many photographers simply use their name as their business name, but I knew from the start that I didn’t want to do that. Not because I don’t like my name, but because I wanted my business name to communicate a little something about how I felt about photography.

My cousin Brittany recently sent me an article written by Ashley Campbell, daughter of country music legend Glenn Campbell, which appeared in care ADvantage, a publication for caregivers of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. She told me the following quote made her think of me and that she just had to share it:

“Live your life with love and cherish each precious moment you have with your loved one. That is all we can do. Time is fleeting. We can never make more time, but we can make more memories to hold onto.”

–Ashley Campbell, “‘Gentle On My Mind’: Lessons in Caregiving”

This quote is probably the best way I could sum up how I feel about photography and why it is important and why we should make time for it and why I named my business the way I did.

Over the holidays I was catching up on updating my personal photo albums (I was two years behind!) and I was shocked at the memories that were jogged from photos taken just in the last couple of years. Little things I had forgotten because life got hectic. I decided to pull down an album from several years ago. It happened to be from Christmas 2008. On about the second or third page was Gramps, wearing a flannel shirt like he always wore and grinning like he was 10 years old again. Further on in the album was Memaw, laughing so hard she was about to cry. Another shot showed Pop, wearing a beaming smile that said all the family was there–togetherness–his favorite thing in the world. These fleeting moments have become memories that I treasure, as Gramps, Memaw and Pop have all gone on to Heaven. If I didn’t have those photographs, I’d still have the memories, but they might not be as clear, they might get buried over time, or maybe even forgotten.

So, why Fleeting Moments? Because knowing how fleeting those moments are is what drives me to pick up my camera and press the shutter button. No two moments are the same, no two memories are the same. Capturing these Fleeting Moments (both big and small) is what I love to do: for myself, for my family and friends, and for my clients.

Happy New Year!

– Elizabeth

Pop, Gramps and Memaw (Christmas 2008)