Part advice, part disclaimer
In life, sometimes we get so wrapped up in wanting to preserve the moment that we forget (or don't know how) to stop and enjoy the moment. This post is my 2 cents on how to enjoy the moment and make the best of life experiences.
Over my lifetime (and most likely yours as well) the convenience aspect of "capturing the moment" (taking pictures) has increased considerably. From 35mm and 110 film that we had to take in to get developed and cost to both purchase and develop the film... To Polaroids, where you could get that picture pretty much right away BUT the film cost an arm and a leg and it only came with 10 exposures per cartridge. Then to the digital world where you could instantly see the pictures you took but had very limited memory space and the pictures were pretty grainy. And now with digital cameras AND cameras on our phones with ridiculous amounts of memory, we can seemingly take unending photos ("good? bad? who cares! I have tons of memory! I'll look at them later and delete the ones I don't like."). The only time we're careful with taking those pictures is when we get the dreaded "low memory" warning on our phones. And then we scramble to delete something.... anything! so that we can add more pictures to our camera roll.
With the convenience of taking pictures, I've noticed that people are constantly recording life. Photos. Videos. Boomerangs. InstaStories. Facebook. Snapchat. You name it, our lives are being lived in the public eye. We want everyone to see the amazing thing we saw, or share a moment, or brag about a new purchase, or just show off the loves of our lives (friends, family, children, pets).
Although I have often found myself in the position of wanting to take pictures of ALL THE THINGS, I have been incredibly intentional about choosing when to enjoy the moment and when to record the moment. Sometimes I miss that moment that I would have loved to have recorded forever BUT I think back and wonder, "had I recorded it, would the moment have meant as much to ME?" Would I rather have been involved in the moment or just an observer?
How does this play out in practical situations? It may look different in your life, but here are some bits of advice and scenarios for you to think about.
Travel
In my opinion, travel (whether near or far, often visited spots and new to you) is the hardest but most rewarding time to decide WHEN to take pictures. I'm a photographer at heart and always want to record every new thing I see/do. I want to share the excitement with people who have never been there and show them why they should also visit said place. But if I'm always taking pictures, I miss those chances to experience the moment and possibly make a new friend or learn a new thing or see something outside the edges of my camera preview screen.
Practically speaking, I do my best to put my camera away until just the right moment. When is that moment for me? As I usually travel with friends, we normally communicate "let's take pictures now". That means that we are at a spot where we want to enjoy the moment WHILE taking pictures. At the beach enjoying the landscape, in a new place trying to record every angle/aspect (practicing photography skills), finding a moment to make each other models in whatever situation we find ourselves in, creating a memory to look back upon and say "that day/moment. that was a GOOD day/moment", capturing something unusual or intriguing, etc. Making the photo portion of travel intentional also helps you observe more things ultimately resulting in you taking a more broad spectrum of photos as you discover and experience new things/moments that you want to capture. It's a win win situation for you.
In Life
Whether at a concert, out to eat or just doing life we all tend to pick up our phones and cheese for the world. How many times do we never look at that picture/video again? Or post it just to see how many likes and comments we get? We're all guilty of this. Whether we take the picture because we're bored or we want bragging rights or we really think that photo is super important, it's like we've lost the ability to, for lack of a better phrase, stop and smell the roses.
At that concert/sporting event - Why are you taking the picture/video? To brag to the world? Put that phone down and sing (and dance) along with your favorite artist! Or scream along with the other fans to your heart's content. I guarantee you'll enjoy it so much more. When the moment's right... when you've stopped singing, dancing or screaming and are just watching... THAT'S the moment to record. Take out your phone, enjoy the atmosphere and purposefully and intentionally take a photo you would be proud of. What if that moment never comes? What if you get too wrapped up in the event? It's OK! You know you were there. You had an amazing time. And those photos/videos you would have taken when you should be experiencing the moment wouldn't have turned out as great as you thought they would. Still want to brag? There are other ways to do it without sacrificing living in the moment. Take a picture with you and your friends before/after the show with the stage in the background and something to identify what you're there for (a logo, ticket, sign, etc). Show a bit of merchandise you purchased or are repping for the event. Take a picture of the venue and tag the event. People will still know you were there and envy you.
With friends & family - This is a hard one. As we all know, when with friends sometimes we take photos to fill a moment. There's a lag in conversation or we just don't know what to do next. And that's great! But I challenge you - instead of defaulting to selfies and modeling, go ahead and start a new conversation or suggest doing something else. Put that phone away and enjoy your relationship. Your loved ones will feel appreciated and you may learn something new about them or go on new adventures. Phones are so easy to go to for multitasking or to fill the moment when you don't know what else to do. But what does that convey to your loved ones? I'd much rather foster a healthy relationship than to capture the moment. Is conversation or suggesting things to do overwhelming and stressful for you? Do you have a little bit of social awkwardness, anxiety, insecurity or introvertedness? That's ok. Phones have made it easier for us to hide those facts and thinking outside of the box society has created IS difficult. Whether you Google a list of questions to get to know people, or you keep a list of videos/memes/pictures/articles that intrigue you to show your friend in a moment of quiet (yes, this is technically using your phone - but it is just to foster a new conversation) or buy a pack of Sneaky Cards to do together with friends in those moments nobody knows what to do - they are all great ways to help you enjoy the moment and develop deeper relationships with your loved ones. When is it best to take pictures? Once you become more comfortable with living in the moment, the moments will begin to feel naturally orchestrated. A moment comes and you think "THIS moment. this is THE moment. right here, right now just as we are. I want to remember this." That is the ideal moment. I don't know what that moment is for you. Maybe the baby's giggle as he's running around making a mess of the house - it brings you so many emotions and you're just observing and enjoying those feelings. Or maybe you're out exploring with a friend and there's that quiet moment when you both are just observing the surroundings and the moment - take out that phone and snap away. Random model shoots - the surroundings are perfect and your friend looks amazing - so take lots of pictures being silly and fun! The photos will mean so much more to you once you start finding the moments and experiencing life.
Food
We're all guilty of this. At a new restaurant, take a picture. Eating a new food, take a picture. Unfortunately, we can't capture the taste of the food. And I'm sure there have been times that we've taken that picture and been so excited and posted it before we even took a bite - and then... the food is disappointing, or the food really doesn't look as appetizing as it tastes. I get it, we all love to share our experiences and want other people to join us in it. But maybe... just maybe, it's not that important. Sometimes the picture is a replacement for sharing the moment. "I was out to dinner with so and so and had such a wonderful time" or "I loved this restaurant! the food is so good and everyone should try it!" Those are all good reasons to want to capture the moment... but when the food photoshoot happens and you're no longer interacting with your loved one, maybe it's not necessary. An alternative is enlisting your friend as a model in the photo - make it fun. Or ask your friend for ideas on placement, lighting, angles, etc.
In Conclusion
There's so much more I could say on this subject. I feel very strongly about it. I know I've missed many opportunities to capture things (which equates to me having posts with no accompanying photos) that I honestly would love to be able to share with people - BUT I don't think many of those memorable moments would have happened if I weren't engaged in living life. I still have my stories and memories. The words will live on forever. The feelings will always be accessible. You can still share those moments with others - and using your words will engage them more than just glancing at photos of moments they didn't experience. Try putting away your camera/phone and experience the moment. But, by all means, never stop capturing "that moment". Those are the pictures I want to see.
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