{"id":168318,"date":"2022-06-26T10:30:22","date_gmt":"2022-06-26T09:30:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/?p=168318"},"modified":"2022-06-17T14:23:27","modified_gmt":"2022-06-17T13:23:27","slug":"opinion-sometimes-you-should-put-the-camera-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/latest\/opinion\/opinion-sometimes-you-should-put-the-camera-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: Sometimes you should put the camera down"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amy Davies wonders if\u00a0the pressure to get a perfect shot is spoiling your experience, should you put the camera down?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recently, I\u2019ve been thinking about whether I\u2019m taking too many photos. It may seem strange for a photography writer to advocate putting your camera away, but bear with me.<\/p>\n

My most recent holiday included a day trip to Niagara Falls, which involved a boat ride into the famous mist, all of us bedecked in attractive plastic ponchos. As I glanced around, people were scrambling to get to the edges of the boat, armed with their cameras (or phones<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Keen to see my camera live another day<\/strong>, I kept mine safely tucked away, aside from a couple of grab shots. Initially I felt a twinge of disappointment that, faced with the chance to get up close and personal with one of the world\u2019s most famous landmarks, I probably wasn\u2019t going to be able to capture any photo, let alone an extraordinary one.<\/p>\n

But then, I began to reason, now wasn\u2019t the time to take photos, it was time to enjoy the moment<\/strong>. The feel of the cool water on my skin was welcome relief during a freak Canadian heatwave (not helped by, in effect, wearing a bin bag), while I knew that no photo \u2013 or video \u2013 could ever truly do it justice.<\/p>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"People\t\t\t

People Wearing Red Raincoats Against the famous Niagra Falls in Canada, Photo \/ Lead image: Adam Vradenburg \/ EyeEm, Getty Images<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

Hobby vs Obsession<\/h3>\n

I began to think about other times I\u2019ve felt the pressure to take a great shot, and wondered whether ultimately it was worth it. There\u2019s a fine line between a hobby and an obsession which cancels out enjoyment. These days, we also have the pressure of social media, chasing likes and comments regarding just how much of an amazing time we\u2019re supposedly having.<\/p>\n

But was it really that amazing if all your non-photographer husband\/wife\/family\/friend (delete as appropriate) could remember about your trip was your 700 attempts to get the perfect shot, swapping lenses, trying \u2018just one more\u2019 angle while they were getting increasingly impatient? Was it really amazing if you felt yourself getting irrationally angry at passers-by for daring to walk into the frame?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I recently read a study that suggested you\u2019re less likely to remember something if you take a photo of it. It\u2019s as if your brain decides there\u2019s no need to store the information. But I want my memories to stay in my head, not sit on a hard drive, which I may never look at.<\/p>\n

While I\u2019m never going to stop taking photos on my holidays, I\u2019ve made a new resolution to be less worried about the perfect shot in these situations. And, especially in locations that have been photographed to death, if something isn\u2019t working within a few minutes (or ideally seconds) to move on to the next thing.<\/p>\n

Hopefully both the enjoyment of my travels and of photography will increase by a quality-over-quantity approach.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Amy Davies is Amateur Photographer\u2019s Features Editor, and previously has spent many years writing for various photography titles.<\/p>\n

\n

Lead image: Adam Vradenburg \/ EyeEm, Getty Images<\/em><\/p>\n

The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of\u00a0Amateur Photographer<\/em>\u00a0magazine or Kelsey Media Limited. If you have an opinion you\u2019d like to share on this topic, or any other photography related subject, email:\u00a0ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Follow AP on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, and YouTube<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Amy Davies wonders if\u00a0the pressure to get a perfect shot is spoiling your experience, should you put the camera down?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":168322,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,466],"tags":[3335,3334,3337,3336,1799,2279,3333],"product-category":[],"class_list":["post-168318","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-photo-news","category-opinion","tag-hobby","tag-many","tag-niagra-falls","tag-obsession","tag-photos","tag-taking","tag-too"],"yoast_head":"\nOpinion: Sometimes you should put the camera down - Amateur Photographer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Amy Davies wonders if\u00a0the pressure to get a perfect shot is spoiling your experience, should you put the camera down?\" \/>\n<meta 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