In Greek mythology, Chronos is the personification of time, a metaphor of sorts for the way we view it. In one telling story, he consumes each of his children out of fear and jealousy. Chronos is greedy, grasping, fearful, unappreciative. I think most of us persist with a Chronos paradigm of time. Time is money and we never have enough of either. Efficiency is our highest value. We are driven by checklists and schedules and things that have to get done. Time is a taskmaster.

The Greeks, though, had another word for time: Kairos. Kairos time is different. Kairos is time as opportunity, time as gift. Kairos times are the moments that transcend the ordinary and mundane. These are times we are truly present, times we are creating memories, times that remind us of what really matters.

So, what does this have to do with photography? Possibly nothing, but then again maybe everything. When we gift our time to our families to have family pictures taken, when we gratefully set aside time for pictures to celebrate a lifetime friendship, or have a portrait done to commemorate a significant moment we are living in Kairos time. We aren’t just recording the passage of time, we are creating memories that endure, that stand the test of … time.

Love, joy, family, friends – these are the things we know matter. Take the time to do them well.

Have a great day.

Cheers,

Tris