Several years ago, Photo Marketing Association International (PMAI) and the Photographic Information Council (PIC) designed the day after Thanksgiving as “National Family Photo Day.” The idea was to use a family get-together to take a nice family photo – one that could be sent as a holiday greeting card, either in the U.S. mail or as an attachment to an e-mail.
    While I was thinking about National Family Photo Day, I was flipping through one of my wife's cooking magazines. I noticed an ad from the Tea Council of the U.S.A. Inc. The ad's headline, "Are you drinking enough tea?" caught my eye. In essence, the ad extolled the health benefits of drinking tea (because of the abundance of antioxidants).
The ad gave me an idea. Sure an official family picture is nice, but I wonder if dads and moms ever ask themselves, "Are we taking enough pictures of our kids throughout the year – and are we taking enough pictures of our life in general?"
    Now I don't have any scientific proof that taking pictures is good for your health, but I do know, as do many photography instructors and photographers, that taking pictures is a lot of fun. And getting a good picture is even more fun, satisfying and rewarding. Plus, seeing a successful photograph or even a snapshot that turns out well gives the picture-taker a feeling of accomplishment and self-esteem. All those good feelings, combined with some smiles, could have a positive effect on a person. (There is proof that smiling makes one look and feel younger, and that positive people feel better than negative people.)
What's more, I know many photographers who concentrate so intensely on taking a picture that the day's troubles and worries are temporarily washed away. Some photographers I know are so focused on what's in their viewfinder that they lose track of time, and have compared photography to meditation.
    Taking many pictures is important for all types of photographers. As a serious photographer, it's important to take a lot of pictures. In doing so, you can learn from your mistakes, see what you like and see what you don't like about your pictures. It's sort of like learning how to jazz improvise. The only way you can become good at improvising it is to practice, experiment and play. The more you do it, the more accomplished you become.
As a family photographer, it's even more important, I feel, to take numerous pictures of activities you do with your children. Not only pictures at holidays and special occasions, but pictures of everyday events, such as waiting for the school bus in the morning, having a game of catch in the backyard, or making pancakes on a Sunday morning. Years from now, these seemingly simple snapshots may rekindle fond memories in your child's mind – memories that may have been forgotten had it not been for your pictures.
    So, from time to time, perhaps while you are having an afternoon cup of tea, ask yourself, "Do I take enough pictures?"

Rick Sammon is the author of “The Complete Guide to Digital Photography.” See www.ricksammon.com for details.