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On Not Carrying a Camera – Cultivating memories instead of snapshots

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Re: On Not Carrying a Camera – Cultivating memories instead of snapshots

#161

Post by camtarn »

DoingIsLearning wrote: post #124

To each their own but as someone with a terrible long term memory I find that pictures and journaling absolutely help me look back into the years and not have terrible voids of mind. Also do take pictures of the mundane and everyday life, I actually started leaving a go pro in the corner of the room during lazy Sunday pancakes, or school runs, or occasional in the evening to catch interesting conversations with my ki…

I like the idea of just having a GoPro running as a habit, but do you find that you collectively change your behaviour, knowing that you're being observed?

At least on a GoPro, you can apparently turn off the blinking red 'recording' LED.

Re: On Not Carrying a Camera – Cultivating memories instead of snapshots

#162

Post by submeta »

When you get older, you realize how memories fade, how they disappear, and that’s when you wish you had taken more pictures. I am not talking about young folks shooting photos for the sake of getting likes. I am talking about precious moments, a picture here, a picture there. They will help trigger lost memories. For what is our identity if not a string of recollections we have?

Re: On Not Carrying a Camera – Cultivating memories instead of snapshots

#163

Post by billfruit »

submeta wrote: post #162

When you get older, you realize how memories fade, how they disappear, and that’s when you wish you had taken more pictures. I am not talking about young folks shooting photos for the sake of getting likes. I am talking about precious moments, a picture here, a picture there. They will help trigger lost memories. For what is our identity if not a string of recollections we have?

Pictures are one way, there are other ways too like writing a journal.

Camera after all is a recent invention.

Re: On Not Carrying a Camera – Cultivating memories instead of snapshots

#164

Post by MoonGhost »

You can now take short videos, like 3-10 sec. They look more alive. That's what I'm doing in addition to photos. 8k looks great and I can select the best 32M frame if needed.

In general with practice you'll stop thinking much while taking pictures. You'll learn to 'see' the moment. It just becomes like a part of experience.

Re: On Not Carrying a Camera – Cultivating memories instead of snapshots

#165

Post by submeta »

billfruit wrote: post #163
submeta wrote: post #162

When you get older, you realize how memories fade, how they disappear, and that’s when you wish you had taken more pictures. I am not talking about young folks shooting photos for the sake of getting likes. I am talking about precious moments, a picture here, a picture there. They will help trigger lost memories. For what is our identity if not a string of recollections we have?

Pictures are one way, there are other ways too like writing a journal. Camera after all is a recent invention.

I do practice journaling, both on paper and digitally, been doing this for over 30 years. But there's nothing that can replace a video that I took from my grandpa where he would talk about his life's journeys for an hour, shortly before he developed alzheimers.

Re: On Not Carrying a Camera – Cultivating memories instead of snapshots

#166

Post by varjag »

submeta wrote: post #162

When you get older, you realize how memories fade, how they disappear, and that’s when you wish you had taken more pictures. I am not talking about young folks shooting photos for the sake of getting likes. I am talking about precious moments, a picture here, a picture there. They will help trigger lost memories. For what is our identity if not a string of recollections we have?

Atop of that for some of us memories are less vivid to begin with. My visualizations are rather faint but looking at an old photo brings out the fabric of the moment around it, sometimes down to the smell and sounds.

Re: On Not Carrying a Camera – Cultivating memories instead of snapshots

#167

Post by aqme28 »

This is absolutely a "trend" (been going on for years now) in nightclubs in Berlin. Almost none of them allow photography of any sort, and will sticker up your phone at the entrance to remind you.

When you are taking photos or even thinking of doing it, you are not living in the moment.

When I go to clubs in other countries, the difference is really stark. People aren't actually dancing and don't look like they're having fun.

Re: On Not Carrying a Camera – Cultivating memories instead of snapshots

#168

Post by submeta »

aqme28 wrote: post #167

This is absolutely a "trend" (been going on for years now) in nightclubs in Berlin. Almost none of them allow photography of any sort, and will sticker up your phone at the entrance to remind you. When you are taking photos or even thinking of doing it, you are not living in the moment. When I go to clubs in other countries, the difference is really stark. People aren't actually dancing and don't look like they're ha…

Well, there are other reasons in Berlin's nightlife. OTHER people do not want to be photographed, drunk, or in other situations :)

Re: On Not Carrying a Camera – Cultivating memories instead of snapshots

#169

Post by Agraillo »

FredPret wrote: post #79

My wife and I went on a giant trip a couple of years back. I took tens of thousands of pictures. They're now our Apple TV background. Every time a new photo comes on the slideshow, it sparks a memory and moment of joy. It's like the trip is paying dividends. Of course I wasn't glued to my camera and still enjoyed it, but there's definitely a balance, and I'd err on the side of overrecording. Especially if the memorie…

Showing a random photo from the past is a nice feature. Used to have it on an Android tablet where an idle lock screen slideshow allowed this. There are also windows in different programs where I don't mind having a random picture as a background. Looks like a "New tab" page in the browser is ok for this. Anyone know how to set this up in Firefox?

Re: On Not Carrying a Camera – Cultivating memories instead of snapshots

#170

Post by Agraillo »

boruto wrote: post #115

Please take as many photographs as possible. I never took any pictures while traveling. Partly as I am not photogenic, that inferiority complex stayed with me. Now for the pictures I took, Me and my daughter spent 2 hours ruminating at those pictures this weekend. Nothing can beat that happiness

Good point. Some time ago I came up with a philosophical interpretation that although literally time machines don't exist, humanity already invented them, they are called photos and videos. You can't change the past, but you can visit it
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