26/01/2024
Today was the first time I got asked if l was a local while sitting on a beach curb, eating poke, and looking out at the waves crashing on the pier. (I need to remember this exact moment, ok)
It's been about two months since I ~ officially ~ moved to the West Coast. I'll be honest — the transition has been harder than expected with business, family, friends, and mostly with myself. Some days, I'm full of energy, thinking of all the opportunities that will happen with time on the West Coast, and some days, I miss my first little apartment in the middle of the city, where I was cozy and comfortable.. that was full of me, Lexi.
It felt right that today was the day I got asked if I was a local, and I confidently said, "Oh, well, yes, I am." I giggled after I said it and asked the lady, "How can you tell?" she responded, "Well, you're just looking out and enjoying, not on your phone taking photos." I giggled again because if only she knew being a photographer was my job. When she walked away, I snapped a photo to remember the first time someone asked me if I was a local, not because it was just a beautiful photograph, but the meaning behind it.
It made me realize even more how important photographs can be. They can be beautiful, but simultaneously can hold a memory or a feeling and not be so 'beautiful.'
That's why I aim with wedding photographs or any photo I take, that there's a moment, memory, feeling, and intention behind it. I'm not just aiming for the most beautiful photo and wondering if it will hit the most likes on Instagram. Photos are worth more than that; you are worth more than that.
Today is a good day; today, I feel like a local for the first time.
