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MeMe's Hands Holding a Rose I was up late recently, I couldn’t sleep, and as I sat there in front of my computer hoping it could entertain me I glanced around the room. Pictures, three of them in my line of sight from where I was sitting. Now these are three of my favorite images that I have taken and when I look at them I can’t help but feel good. I quickly racked my brain thinking of the other rooms in my house and yep, sure enough they all have photographs in them, some of them art but not all. We also have many portraits displayed as well, my wife and I at our wedding, our young cousins, Garrett, Maddy, Summer and Maya along with other images of friends and family. I then thought about the pictures or the number of picture in my parent’s home and the home of my in-laws. I soon realized there is almost no room in either of their houses that photographs aren’t displayed, even the bathrooms. Photography plays a much more important role in our lives than most people realize. Think about it. How many pictures do you have in your home? Both art and portraits, I bet it’s a lot. Photographs connect us with personal memories more so than many art mediums. They remind us of the places we’ve been and the people we have loved and still currently love. With a piece of art; you hang it in your home because you have some connection with the subject, a memory or feeling of some sort that you feel as soon as you see it for the first time. You bring it home to remember that feeling and deepen that connection each time you see it. With a portrait it’s a memory of a person you love, a chance for you to stay connected with them when they’re not there. One of the most cherished pictures I have is of my grandmother’s hands, not her face with her warm and loving smile. Just her old weathered hands cupping a rose. You see, a photograph isn’t about obligation, it’s about creating a sense of familiarity and memories, of the things you’ve felt, the experiences you’ve had and the people you care about. But most importantly for me, it’s about being home. And the memories of my grandma and her unsteady hands holding that rose as I adjusted my lights and took my meter readings is what makes wherever I am feel like home. | 
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