Severance

The internet is like an umbilical cord. 

When a baby is developing in the womb, it isn’t strong enough to sustain it’s own life. It’s legs are fragile as twigs, arms as strong as jello, with a brain that can only vaguely desire movement. In order to live it needs to draw energy from mother. 

Now the mother’s legs are relatively strong, her arms are tough, she eats for two. And for roughly 9 months the baby “lives” vicariously through the mother’s actions. Baby has never had chicken wings, but mommy has. Baby has never seen the Washington Monument, but mommy has. Baby has never flown in an airplane, but mommy has. And baby? Well baby gets a very diluted version of all these experiences. Baby is alive enough to survive in the womb, but so helpless that it can not function when faced with the slightest bit of environmental stress.

Then the cord is severed. 

Baby is still helpless, and will be so for several months, but baby is now a little more independent, a little more sturdy, than before. You might say “Independent? How? Baby is sucking on Mommy’s breast!”. Well, I’d say to you that Baby is now breathing, feeling, adjusting to stimuli. Very soon Baby learns to crawl. Then to walk. Then to run. Severing the cord didn’t solve all of Baby’s problems, but it put Baby in the game, and with the right authorities (parents), Baby is able to mature at a healthy pace. 20 years later, Baby can do everything Mommy did and then some. At this point, getting back on the cord might be comforting. Life would be “easier”, but would it be worthwhile?

Think about this. After thinking about it, you might wonder, “What does any of this have to do with photography?”

As stated before, it turns out the internet is like an umbilical cord. Many of us are like the baby in the metaphor. We love to take in the photos, the moments, the glamour of other people’s lives like a baby takes in nutrients. Maybe you even like to produce the content. Regardless, much of our free time is spent taking in these nutrients through the phone. And, to be clear, there are many wonderful things people share online. It isn’t all bad, but that is precisely the point. The good of the social media morass can often become the enemy of our best. The purpose of this post is not to prove that social media is evil. It’s about not letting ease destroy your soul. There is a certain perseverance of the soul, a satisfaction in victory, a humility of heart that is developed by overcoming hardship in God’s providence, which can never be experienced inside the cocoon of the womb. It can never be experienced through Instagram. 

This is what we mean by Severance. At Elohim’s Lens our goal is to create not just a photo, but an anchor to reality. Something you can hold. Something that isn’t for everyone (and we aren’t talking about Close Friends on Instagram). Something precious. Whether that be a fridge magnet, a reminder in your wallet, a custom leather photo album that your grandkids will look at, or a Tunetoon that takes you back to the booming sound of your father’s voice long after he’s dead and gone. We take pride in giving you a reason to put down the phone and not only take in the moment, but look forward to better ones. 

Would it be better for us if you posted our photo and got 1,000,000 likes? Absolutely. But it would be better for you, to hold that photo in your hand with the people you love, and that actually love you. It’s a greater accomplishment for your great-great-great-grandson to see that photo than for it to be lost forever to the tides of social media. You don’t even have to like, share, or comment on this blog. This is what is meant by the title: Severance. Cut the cord! and live life well. Perhaps someday, should you have a moment that simply must live on, a family song you’d like to hear forever, a parent you want to capture in all of their glory before death comes. A wedding, a funeral, a family reunion. Then we hope you come calling for us. We’ll be ready to give it our best shot!

Now here are some practical elements to all this. A challenge if you may…..

Delete social media for a week. Talk to your parents for more than 5 minutes. Learn your family history. Memorize a chapter in the Bible. Lose weight. Pay off your debts. Do something difficult. And if you like, don’t come back and tell everyone about it.

We bid you Godspeed.