Purpose-driven Photography

      My brother called me last week to tell me about an online story that he had read about the importance of photography in recording history.  I am not certain that I found the exact same article, but in my surfing around I did find this quote at   http://www.goshtac.com/history.html :

"As dedicated photographers we must understand our place in recording the history of people and places that we photograph.  Photography is not just about today, but is a recording of our times so that future generations can look back and learn about their past.  It is a legacy we leave to our future children and grandchildren. We must keep that in mind as we view and photograph the world around us."

       Digital photography has given us a world where we can have instant gratification.  I can take a photo and see it immediately!  I don't have to wait till the film is developed and returned from the lab.  How much fun is that?!?  I can send the image quickly from my computer to my friends so they can see the beauty I have captured.  And, I can shoot picture after picture after picture on my memory card and store them on my computer without the expense of having prints made.  Bur should I?
     "Photography is not just about today....." and yet that seems to be the main focus of most photographers now.  Most seem to take little thought about the real purpose, the real value of photography.  They simply snap away, load the images on their computers, apply some cool effect in PhotoShop, and post them for their friends to see on Facebook or other social media.  This is great, and allows us to share our lives with each other now, but what about later?
     Are we passing our history on to future generations?  Will we even be able to share the photos we are taking today in a few years.  What happens when your computer crashes or when your cd gets scratched or lost or when your memory card fails?  
      Technology is fantastic, but it changes quickly.  What will happen to your treasures when it does?  CD's and DVD's are known to last 10 to 20 years, computer hard drives crash and lose data, memory cards fail,  new technology replaces old every few years, but photographic prints can last over 100 years.  
      How important are the family photos you are taking today?  How available will they be in 20 years or 50 years?  Photographs are treasures of the heart, a "legacy that we leave to our future children and grandchildren."   Where is your legacy?