undefined | Better HN

0 pointskbenson6y ago0 comments

> people spending the entirety of their visit to some tourist spot trying to get the perfect selfie, to the exclusion of nearly everything else.

There is a sweet spot, since I'm at the far extreme other end of the spectrum, and have my own regrets.

I don't take pictures. I just looked, and there's probably between 10 and 20 a month in my phone over the last few months, but the vast majority of those are for stuff I got or sent in an message from my wife or a family member, and a few I took to document my MPOE after new equipment was installed.

I used to just say to people that I don't really see the point of pictures to remember something. Then I got a little older and realized that I have a crap memory for events, but unfortunately my ways are mostly set, and I'm just not the kind of person that thinks to take a picture (and I'll never post it on social media, that's for sure).

The downside is that unless someone else is around to document it for me, there's not much visual evidence to remind my of past events or help me reminisce. I've missed it at times.

0 comments

jefurii6y ago

I realized I could never capture a place the way a trained photographer with the proper equipment would, so it was useless to try. When I visit a place I take pictures of the people I'm with who make it memorable but don't try to overdocument. Often these snaps unlock the memory of the place. If I really want a great panorama photo I look online.

mithr6y ago

I'm somewhere in the middle. I enjoy taking photos, especially on trips, but will rarely pull my phone out during an event, and almost never post anything on social media in any case.

One way that has perhaps been personally helpful in moderating the amount of photos taken is that I mostly use a film camera. This has its downsides, but one upside is that you're limited by the amount of film you physically brought, and so you take a single photo of something rather than 20 (which, incidentally also cuts down on the amount of time you spend picking the "perfect one" -- you either got it or you didn't, and that's it).

That being said, as phone cameras have gotten better, I have found myself taking more photos with those devices as well... but perhaps due to habits developed with a film camera, I still manage to find a balance between just looking at what's around me, device in pocket, and taking it out to snap a nice picture here and there.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse