Many of us take thousands of pictures each year. It's commonplace to have hundreds of friends on social media. Our cameras have become one of our most valuable assets - our tool for sharing our most important moments with our digital worlds.
And while images are powerful -- sometimes it's even better when you get to hear the stories behind them. Because if you know someone who has shared enough moments of your life to make your friendship rock solid - surely that's worth shouting about?
Below, five sets of friends have shared pictures and revealed the sometimes extraordinary tales of their relationships. Some friendships have stood the test of time, some were unexpected and some had been rekindled after years apart. But all of them are, put simply, bloody great. Here are the stories they shared...
Jenna Kruiskamp (left) and Casey Beros
Jenna: "Casey is my best friend, business partner and I also live in the apartment downstairs from her and her fiancé. When we're not working, we love to cook up a storm or go dancing together. This picture totally embodies my relationship with Casey -- hilarious, genuine, natural. Our happy place is the beach and each other! We met as schoolgirls in Perth and now we run our health and well-being retreat business Paper Tiger in Sydney (and Perth and Sri Lanka) together. We're best friends first, business partners second and while we LOVE working together, we've always said that if our friendship ever looked like it was at risk because of Paper Tiger we'd walk away, no question. When she gets married, I'm going to be her matron of honour. We've got each other's backs -- at work and in life."
Jack Hayward (right) and Glen Harper
Jack: "This skate picture pretty much sums our friendship completely, because Glen and I are all about pushing each other to do challenging things, whether it be ollieing over each other, surfing big waves or cliff jumping. I'm a photographer -- I've even produced a coffee table book of my own pictures -- but this photo was just taken using a GoPro on a time lapse. Glen and I have been friends for roughly three or four years now. We both get seriously excited about getting up at four in the morning -- even in the freezing cold of mid winter -- to go for a surf. One time, we went out and it was heavy. The waves were way over our heads but whenever one of us got caught inside, or dumped, we just found it hilarious. We've bonded because we're both adrenaline junkies."
Jon Miller (left) and Sam Hesketh
Jon: "Three years ago I was travelling in Chile when Sam came over and asked me to take a photograph. We were on an active volcano at the time and we got chatting. Then we bumped into each other at the same hostel and we ended up doing some travelling together. Many kilometres and more than a few beers later we'd become really good friends. This snap of us jumping on the beach on Bruny Island reminds me of one of the many really good times we've shared on the road. We're good travel buddies because we like to go with the flow and let things happen spontaneously. Sam and I have had so many adventures, we started a travel website together, Twisted Atlas. We're already planning our next trip –- I want to go to Nepal and he wants to go to Tibet. We'll probably end up somewhere else completely, but that's OK."
Phillip Marsden (right) and Ronnie Marsden
Phil: "I've been living in Australia for five and a half years, but recently had to return home to the UK while awaiting a new visa. Although it has meant being apart from my fiancée for over a month, it has also meant I've been able to spend some quality time with the other woman in my life, my Mum! Sadly my Dad passed away earlier this year. I made a comic about a day Mum and I spent together just after my Dad's funeral. But shortly after that day, I went back to Sydney, leaving Mum alone in the family home. Since I've been back in England, we have been hanging out every day -- going shopping, to the movies, and for cheeky afternoon cocktails. It has been great spending time together like old friends. This photo was taken on our way into town to celebrate my birthday. She has her pensioner's bus pass now so we take the bus everywhere, which also means we can always order another cocktail!"
Shemelia Douglas (right) and Gareth Linard
Shemelia: "This photo is from a night out in Bondi back in 2011. I was visiting Gareth as he had moved to Australia from London. I met Gareth at school when I was about 16 and I initially hated him because he had dumped one of my friends. Fast forward about 18 years, and I'm due to be Best Woman at his wedding in October. One moment that sticks out from our friendship is me sitting in a pub with him just after his mother had died. I thought I was totally the wrong person to be there with him as our friendship is based on laughing at each other's jokes and the fact that I have no filter in serious situations, so often say the wrong thing. But I think a distraction is what he needed in that moment. Gareth is one of my favourite people and this picture is a perfect portrait of us. Two fools who enjoy being silly, especially when life can sometimes punch you in the face!"
If you want to learn more about how to craft a powerful story, join Canon Ambassador Lisa Wilkinson as she delivers an interactive talk -- The Art Of Storytelling -- at Sydney's Museum of Contemporary Art on June 7. With a career that has spanned print publishing, radio, television and online, Lisa will share her methods for identifying and producing a engaging, meaningful story. For your FREE ticket to the event, register here.