My Camera Roll

Written and photographed by Lorryn Smit

As I get older, the years seem to go by faster and faster. Wonderful things happen throughout the year, but because it flies by, these things tend to be forgotten just as quickly as the year goes on. We like to think that things that pull at our heartstrings or those “unforgettable” trips that we take will stick in our minds, but they don’t. They just don’t. For this reason, I started a little tradition a few years ago: on the first day of the new year, I flip through my camera roll of the past year.

This brings me great joy. I get to re-live wonderful memories with people, re-experience beautiful moments that made me happy, and mostly, feel gratitude for all that is my life. When I tell people about my little tradition, most respond with the same words: “But you’re a photographer, my pictures are not beautiful.” It’s not about the pictures being beautiful. It’s about the small moments in life that make us happy. The moments when you were actually present. Not worrying about things or thinking about the future. These are the moments in life when we feel sincerely happy. And the ones we should cherish and learn to enjoy more! Try it. Take photos of things that touch your heart, happy times with your friends and family, small precious moments. And you’ll see just how beautiful life is!

The Author
Lorryn Smit is a South African who has called Gwangju home for seven years now. She is a recently turned full-time photographer specialising in documentary-style wedding and portrait photography. She is also the editor-in-chief of a popular photography blog called Photographers in Korea and freelances for a variety of publications in Korea.