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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

#231

Post by chaosbolt »

planck_tonne wrote: post #11

There must be a balance. Recently I met some people that were constantly filming and taking pictures of everything. It was ridiculous IMO, for the same reasons OP mentions. This is not new. For me, it began with the rise of the smartphone. So I made it a point not to waste my time photographing things. 10 years later, I regret having essentially no pictures of anything. In particular, no "good" or "frameable" picture…

Exactly the same, I now understand that I took that way too personally and having 0 pictures of yourself plus not having any social media made me lose contact with lots of old friends.

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

#232

Post by turnsout »

Total false dichotomy. I'm a photographer and carry a camera most places I go. Even without the camera up to my eye, photography helps me see the moment—noticing what's happening physically and emotionally in everyday scenes.

My memory is bad. Without the photos, some of those scenes would literally cease to exist in my mind. Not that I need to capture and relive every moment… But some of those moments only become interesting or valuable with the passing of time, or the context of new events.

But photography is like any art—you can use it to focus, or to distract.

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

#233

Post by haswell »

strogonoff wrote: post #230
haswell wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> can create a vanishingly rare, one of a kind image Early in my photography journey, I captured some photos of a stunning sunset. “WOW, this is what I’ve been missing” I thought to myself, and also thought I could capture similar photographs regularly. It took me some time and experience to realize just how rare or unique many conditions actually are. I’ve gone back to the same spot for years and have never seen a s…

It took me many years of carrying the camera to get close to what you describe and realize how even changes in air quality and humidity can create a very different view at different times. There are many factors that no post-processing can help, even if you have the finest raw from your sensor. Processing is important, I strongly believe, but only insofar as it amplifies the scene and your impression of it. The days…

> when there is a right frame of mind then the camera at least contributes to a virtuous circle, if not acts as the source of it

100% this has been the case for me. I think the key is to not go looking for shots, but to immerse myself in the environment and then click the shutter button when something in the environment inspires me to do so.

Sorry to hear about the stolen camera. This recently happened to me as well, and one of my top priorities right now is replacing it. Thankfully I have some backup options in the meantime.

There’s definitely something completely different about shooting on a dedicated camera vs. the phone. Hope you’re able to get your hands on another camera soon. The used market on mpb/keh is really strong.

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

#234

Post by Mbwagava »

vasco wrote: post #93

I've noticed the "live in the moment" crowd is funnily enough the one that least lives in the moment. They are the first to notice how many people around them are taking pictures or posing or looking "ridiculous", worrying how themselves would look if they did the same, sometimes wanting deep down to do the same but held back by their own perceived judgement of others potentially turning on them. I had a friend that…

How is this comment any better than the attitude its commenting on?Just live your life, you want to take pictures do, you don't don't, you want to post your whole life in Instagram do. Life is whatever you want it to be.

> They are the first to notice how many people around them are taking pictures or posing or looking "ridiculous", worrying how themselves would look if they did the same, sometimes wanting deep down to do the same but held back by their own perceived judgement of others potentially turning on them.

This is incredibly arrogant & entirely projection.

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

#235

Post by alistairSH »

planck_tonne wrote: post #11

There must be a balance. Recently I met some people that were constantly filming and taking pictures of everything. It was ridiculous IMO, for the same reasons OP mentions. This is not new. For me, it began with the rise of the smartphone. So I made it a point not to waste my time photographing things. 10 years later, I regret having essentially no pictures of anything. In particular, no "good" or "frameable" picture…

For many years, I'd take a mix of photos - some posed, some candids, some landscape/architecture/whatever.

Recently, I've found myself trending heavily towards candids/snapshots. Heck, I never asked for a Polaroid for Christmas to even further "dumb down" my photography. And all my 35mm film cameras are fixed-lens rangefinders (35 DC, 35 RC, and a Demi EE-17).

I still try to be thoughtful about what/when I''m shooting. Especially with my film cameras (film + processing isn't cheap). But, I spend less total time looking through the viewfinder.

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

#237

Post by codazoda »

I do not like to take pictures with my camera for exactly this reason. I want to be there in the moment instead of thinking about the shot.

I'm also opposed to nearly everything that FB does, but I purchased the Ray-Ban Meta sunglasses a year ago anyway. I was preparing to go on a family vacation and I wanted to test them for staying in the moment while still capturing memories. I also prefer candid images where people aren't posing for the camera but are acting naturally.

The great thing about having a camera on your eyeglasses is that you can still be in the moment; mostly. I do hold more still when I take a picture or shoot a video.

I make people in my party aware that I'm wearing them and that I'll be taking pictures. If I'm in public, however, I won't tell everyone around me. That's usually a case where people with me also have their phones out snapping pictures though, so it's pretty obvious that camera's are going.

I'm still struggling with the privacy implications.

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

#238

Post by aqme28 »

submeta wrote: post #168
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 :)

I think both these things are important.

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

#239

Post by trollbridge »

A very interesting post. I don't generally take photographs for religious reasons, other than for a mundane purpose (government IDs, taking pictures of receipts for an app, that sort of thing). I started following this shortly before my first trip to Israel.

Before I did that, my goal would have simply been to take as many pictures as possible to share with my friends elsewhere. But now that I was committed to not doing this, I instead had to simply treasure every sight and commit it to memory.

In retrospect, I am glad I did this. COVID permanently changed the landscape of things including in the Middle East. October 7 unfortunately changed many other things. I still have my memories, though, of some of the most ancient cities and civilisations and cultures in the world, some of which are irreplaceable.

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

#240

Post by trollbridge »

__MatrixMan__ wrote: post #99
andrehacker wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When I was young and easily swayed, I took life advice from a well-known Dutch comedian (Youp van 't Hek) who loved to mock tourists taking those cringe “holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa” photos. The message was clear: tourist photos were tacky, and besides, you could always find a better photo in the gift shop anyway. So for years, I smugly avoided taking photos—too cool for clichés. It only hit me much later th…

I have a friend who refuses to take pictures without people in them. It seemed dumb at first but after several years of pictures piling up I can see he had a pretty good point.

That's very interesting. I don't do the same thing for religious reasons. So the photos I do have are utilitarian, e.g., pictures I took of some plants for the purpose of later IDing them. Such things are quite fascinating to look back at 8 years later.

We also don't have any wedding photos, newborn photos, family photos, etc and there is a certain special feeling to knowing what someone looked like when they were younger lives only in our memories. Particularly in a world where we are flooded with pictures all the time.

The AI era makes this even more interesting. A custom in our circles is to try to find a photo for your profile pic on WhatsApp that maybe sort of looks like you, since it can't be a photo actually of you. So now AI-generated photos are quite popular for this purpose. I think it is an interesting art form.

Likewise, new baby announcements don't have a photo of the baby... you will get either an artistic impression or something, or else something AI generated, often of another type of animal. My second son was represented by a koala bear, my first daughter by abstract watercolours. I enjoy not knowing what a friend's baby looks like until I meet them for the first time.

I also find some of my friends and family, well, I don't regularly see pictures of them, and I tend to remember them however I first saw them. They age, but my memory of them lives on.

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