24. Experience right now or Capture for later?

We have a very intimate relationship with our smartphones. Now a days, we watch what is happening in front of us through our phones. I always wonder why we do that?

Original purpose of having pictures of an event or a place was to have the memory of our presence there. I must say, that has now been replaced with showing it off on Facebook. Which is still ok - if we took may be a couple of photos and then switched back to the events unfolding in front of us to experience them.

But we don’t. We cannot have enough of the photos and videos. We don’t stop taking photos and videos almost throughout the event - from different angles and vantage points - macro and bokeh shots.

Because we can.

Our phones and modern cameras allow for that. Back in the day before the digital era - when it was film roll camera with limited number of photos per roll, we would take - may be a couple of photos and save the roll for later.

When we are on vacation or go somewhere - we spend more time taking photos than actually experiencing the place or event. What makes it worse is that we don’t even go back and watch those photos and videos - sometimes because they are so many. And whenever we do - we cannot relate to them because - we were busy taking photos. It’s almost like we are watching someone else’s journey through that place or event.

And that is where today’s quote really resonates with me. I have always wondered how awesome it would be to stay at one of those beautiful places like a beach or top of a mountain.

Yet, whenever I did actually manage to stay at one of the most beautiful places for a few months or years, more often, instead of experiencing it quietly - I kept clicking away.

Thousands of photographs rarely revisited more than once after.

The quote is attributed to Dustin Hoffman. One my favorite actors. A two time Academy award winner. If you go to Wikipedia you can find the list of his memorable performances through every decade since the 1960.

And now for the picture behind the quote

It is the sunset captured from one of my regular hill climbs. I know it is a bit hypocritical and ironical too may be. But I have promised myself to not get drowned in photography and to enjoy the scene without the screen after ruminating on today’s quote for a bit.

Thanks for reading through and let me leave you with a question

How many moments you are missing to “experience” because you want to capture them?

-Nikhil