Why is photography valuable/important?

Photography has always been a big part of my life. One of my early childhood memories is of a family trip to New York City. I was probably only six years old, but my parent’s gave me a disposable camera to carry around. I still remember climbing the Statue of Liberty and taking a photo of the water and city from the top. It wasn’t some epiphany moment where I realized I was super talented, but it is an image that I was able to look back at and remember that moment for 30 years! That image transported me back to that specific time, climbing the spiral staircase, reaching the top, and taking in the view through Lady Liberty’s crown. Photography is a way of preserving memories, capturing relationships in snippets, and giving life to the past.