About two weeks ago, I returned from another trip to Austria and Germany with my family. I had been looking forward to this trip since my parents had first mentioned it to me and my brothers. When the time came to pack, I made sure to pack fewer things this time so I wasn't nearly as encumbered as a I was the last time. I also wanted to ensure I had space to bring back things that I bought. I decided to bring my camera with me so I could snap some pictures of the beautiful Austrian/German scenery. It's a Nikon D40, so I knew it would take quality photographs like I wanted. I promised myself this time that I wouldn't take a whole bunch of pointless pictures. During our last trip, I collected photos of some rather boring things, including items inside of a museum, many facades of buildings, and an eclectic mix of moments in nature. This isn't to say that these things are completely boring and pointless, but the pictures lack meaning when I can't even remember the reason why I took them in the first place. Showing someone over one hundred pictures of I-can't-remember-what-this-is-or-why-I-took-this-picture gets old really fast. I also believe pictures aren't interesting to others unless you yourself are in it, something beautiful or awesome from nature or a culture is captured, or some strange event is the subject.
I wanted my pictures to be purposeful this time. I decided to bring a plush Kermit the Frog with me that I had bought recently. I figured it would be fun to dedicate the focus of my pictures to Kermit this time. After all, how can something not be interesting with Kermit the Frog in it? Kermit did end up being the center of attention in all of the pictures I took. However, I only used my phone to take pictures of him since it was lightweight, convenient, and got the job done. I didn't take a single picture with my camera the entire week. I still only ended up taking under seventy pictures while I was there. That's roughly ten pictures per day. There are a couple reasons for my lack of photos.
First, since I had already been to most of the places we visited, it wasn't quite as new. This trip, I tended to sit back more, listen to the information being relayed to us, and appreciate in a different way what I was experiencing. It's like reading a book for a second time and picking up on things that were hidden in the story that you missed the first time through.
Secondly, and most importantly, my desire to take pictures of things I'm doing has diminished to almost nothing. Instead of focusing my energy on trying to capture my experiences, I actually enjoy the experience. While photos can be a valuable way to reminisce, I feel like they lose their nostalgia when more focus is devoted to the picture rather than the story behind it. The saying goes "A picture is worth a thousand words," but I think recently we've been deleting some of those words in an effort to document every second of our lives.
A great example of this is whenever I go to a concert. I prefer to be on the floor and at the front so I have a good view of the band and I have fewer distractions of people around me. I also enjoy being close to the amps and speakers so I can feel the vibrations of the music. It's an entrancing experience that transforms my mind for an hour. When the band comes out, I snap a picture or two, and then dive into my experience of the show. All around me, however, are people who spend the entire time recording videos that will most likely have poor audio or snapping a bunch of pictures that are dark and really only show off the stage lights; they watch the entire concert through their phone. If I wanted to watch a concert through a screen, I wouldn't pay $40 to stand in a crowded room and deal with the stench of sweat, weed, and cheap beer. Not only do I think these people are missing out on an experience, but they're distorting the experiences of the people around them trying to see past the phones held high in front of their views.
I understand taking pictures for posterity, but do we really need 50 pictures of the same scene? In this day and age, we are able to capture and publish every second we wish to share with the world. There are children who haven't spoken their first word whose entire lives so far are completely exposed. Nothing is a mystery anymore. We look at old photographs, and there's a story that needs to be told to solve the mystery. I value my memories more than a photograph. I can hold on to my memories longer and not worry as much about losing them if I spill Coke Zero on my laptop. Sure, my mind will eventually deteriorate. That's why humanity developed oral tradition and written tradition. I think telling a story rather than showing it allows the imagination to work more - it's why books are almost always better than movies. On top of that, my life isn't interesting enough that my story needs to live on forever. The lifespan of my story isn't determined by me anyway; that's up to the people who hear my story. They decide whether or not my story is carried on for a while longer. Cameras are beautiful inventions, but I think our overuse of them has depleted their significance and wonder.
Experience your life, don't try to capture it in a box.
