Now THAT is a good question! If something is really, really important, generally, people want to preserve that moment. But why?? I'm sure each person will come up for their own reasons, but for me, I preserve moments because I have the worst memory. Yes, of course, having pretty representations of great memories is important. But looking at a picture can transport you to that moment. Maybe you were laughing with your friend before a dance or saying "I do" to your husband. Surely, you won't forget the moment you said, "I do" but nothing brings back the emotions quite like a photograph.
Photography is by no means a dying art. In fact, more and more people are photographers! Fewer are professional photographers (as in, photography is their main income source), but with iPhones, inexpensive DSLRs, and inexpensive online marketing, people are documenting more moments.
And how beautiful is that?? 100 years ago, the average person maybe got one picture taken of them in their lifetime. Now, thousands of moments of a person's life is documented through photography each year. Think of all the pictures sitting on your phone right now. There was a reason you pulled out your phone and took that picture. You wanted to preserve the moment.
The moment. Each picture, whether of a building or of your son talking his first steps, is a moment in time the world will never get back. But you have it documented. I heard on an ad one time that there are millions of photojournalists using their phones to document the human experience. YES! Document your life!!
You know, of course, that important moments are the ones that you want to be documented really well. Luckily, professional photographers have the equipment, the knowledge, and the experience to make sure your moments are documented beautifully.
Photography is important. Whether the photography you take with your iPhone or the ones your professional photographer took at your wedding, photography is preserving unique moments. So if anyone asks you if you're a photographer, say, "Why yes! Who isn't? I'm documenting my human experience!"
Oh and if you ever want a moment preserved in a truly beautiful way, feel free to contact me (or any other professional photographer!) :)