Been awhile since I’ve mentioned a fellow blogger’s post, but I’ve got an interesting one this week. Joni over at Thepauser posted this interesting post: The New Guard: The Moment and The Message
Seems like everyone is taking pictures of everything lately. The question is, “At what point does documenting an event take you out of the moment and take away from you from being connected to the moment?” Joni explores this question with an example of something that happened to her.
I often wonder at what point does taking photos at an event take away from experiencing an event. I am one of those who doesn’t take many pictures, unless I am intentionally wanting to share an event. For example sometimes I take detail photos of a hike so I can blog about it, but there are times I just need to be in the woods with my thoughts and leave the camera in my pack.
With all the high-tech gadgets and distractions, I think we all need a little more disconnect in our lives. Let me know what you think.
Andrew
Andrew's View of the Week 
I am definitely one of those who needs to disconnect. Very relevant question in these times. Often, I find that my phone has no space and needs to be purged of the hundreds of pictures I take. Sigh…😯
LikeLike
We need to be off grid more often. I’ve been questioning how many pictures I take. If I take a picture and never do anything with it, it seems a waste of effort.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Selfie sticks are awful!
Great post Andrew.
LikeLike
You can hurt yourself with one of those things.
LikeLiked by 1 person
People seem to need their “10 seconds of Fame” or whatever it is. I think it all started with all the “Reality Shows.” My opinion of course. 🙂
LikeLike
That’s a possible theory and now that everyone seems to have a cellphone camera and a selfi stick they can find their 10 seconds…
LikeLike
True, true. 🙂
LikeLike
Very interesting point, Andrew, and well taken. There really is a balance here but regardless of the balance, any time taken to snap a picture is time taken from the moment itself. I never consciously thought about it that way. Thank you.
LikeLike
It’s all about balance.
LikeLike
I agree with your ending, Andrew, but I love taking photos, so I believe that it takes finding a balance between enjoying the moment and memorizing it in picture form..
LikeLike
It’s the balance that is needed. I find it difficult to be in the moment when I am fiddling with gadgets. Still, there are times that I value having a few photos or video clips of an event.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly how I feel! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Different strokes… It’s all about balance. And being present.
LikeLike
It is about balance. A few photos are nice, but it’s easy to go overboard and not be present.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know what she’s saying and agree to a point. I’m a visual person who suffers from a poor memory. So my photos and videos always help me to recapture moments in my life that would be lost forever.
LikeLike
I do like pictures to trigger my memories, but I don’t take that many.
LikeLike
Reminds me of a great tweet I saw earlier today. It shows everyone frantically trying to get a picture of the pope as he approaches except for one woman who’s just enjoying the moment. There’s a lesson to be learned in that, no doubt. Here’s a link to the tweeted photo: https://twitter.com/Abdul_uarts/status/647193621075095552
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love that picture. Great example of what we’re talking about.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have become so overwhelmed with pictures and video easily accessible on our cell phone that we concentrate on the visual rather than entering into an experience with all our senses. – Just my thought, but what do I know, I don’t even own a cell phone, but happy experiencing and Aloha – pjs/
LikeLike
I didn’t have a smart phone for years. I have one now, but don’t often take pictures with it.
LikeLike
I tried to disconnect last Saturday, by accident. I left my phone at home. I did pretty well. Went almost 24 hours without it. Now I am trying not to look at my phone every 5 seconds when something pops up. One step at a time. Photos are tough…you want the memory, but if you’re stopping to take it, you’re more in tune with the camera and the act of taking the picture…hard one to answer.
LikeLike
Disconnecting can be tough. I find that a small number of photos is enough to remember an event.
LikeLike
Good post! I’ve had the same thoughts and experiences, and wonder where it will end…maybe people will get tired of it and become more sane about photos….with time.
LikeLike
Photo taking does seem to be moving towards insane these days. We were in San Francisco last week I was surprised by number of people walking around with selfi sticks taking videos of themselves walking down the street.
LikeLiked by 1 person