Instant Memories

The impulse to instantly share experiences online has become almost second nature. Whether it’s a delicious meal, a stunning sunset, or a candid moment with friends, many of us instinctively reach for our phones, not just to capture these experiences but to broadcast them to the world. When seeing the Mona Lisa in person, we all take out our phones and take a photo. Who are we taking that photo for? And do we need millions of photos of the same painting? I often wrestle with this puzzle.

This culture of instant sharing has fundamentally altered how we experience moments. In the rush to post, like, and comment, how others perceive the experience online can overshadow the immediate, raw connection to it. The present moment becomes a commodity that followers can package, filter, and consume, frequently resulting in a disconnect between our lived experience and our digital persona.

I’ve learned to recognize the difference between capturing an image for likes and capturing one for love.

Hans Scharler

When I first picked up photography as a hobby, I was drawn to the technical aspects—the play of aperture, shutter speed, and composition. Over time, I began to realize that photography offered me a way to connect with the world around me on a more profound level. I’ve had moments when I felt the pressure to snap a picture simply because it would look great on my social media feed. But I’ve learned to recognize the difference between capturing an image for likes and capturing one for love. I now have an audience of one. Me.

The journey has taught me to pause and ask myself why I’m taking a picture. Is it to preserve a memory, tell a story, or simply because I’m drawn to the beauty of the scene? Or is it driven by an external need?

Finding the Balance

Finding equilibrium between our desire to capture memories and the need to fully embrace the present is no easy task. It’s a dance that requires awareness, intention, and practice.

• Set Intentions: Before you even take out your camera, know what you want to capture and why. This clarity can help guide your focus and keep you grounded. Sometimes my why is to learn a lens or to learn how to capture a scene in different lighting conditions.
• Be Present First: Experience the scene fully before reaching for your camera. Soak in the sounds, smells, and feelings, then capture what speaks to you.
• Get into the Photography Flow: I have found that looking through the lens is a way for me to focus on the moment. PUN INTENDED. After I took in the scene, I then start to imagine the photo that I want to take. This gets me into a flow state and I can loose minutes of time at a clip.
• Limit Your Options: Only bring one lens with one focal length. I love the challenge of learning one lens at a time. This causes you to move around to find the right angle and compoistion.

Some folks enjoy knitting, reading books, or perhaps painting watercolors while on vacation. These hobbies provide a way to unwind and a means to engage with the surroundings in your own personal way. For me, blogging and taking photos have become those connective threads that tie me to a place, a feeling, or a fleeting moment.

Since sometimes my camera is my phone, I’ve had to become extra conscious about both staying in the moment and capturing it. It’s a delicate dance that many of us face today, where the very tool we use to preserve memories can also pull us away from truly living them. You snap a photo of your poke bowl and suddenly, your off looking at your friends photos on a better vacation. You find yourself swiping up on Instagram, drawn into another world while the real one continues to unfold around you without your full attention.

As I asked in my article about taking photos of fireworks, why do we take pictures? I use photos to remember things, to remind myself to price shop online for things I find IRL, and to capture the moment. I have been somewhat reflective about photo-taking these past weeks. This reflection probably got triggered by a rash of in-person events this summer. I have been with a lot of people noticing what they do, noticing how I behave too. I happened to be in this beautiful wedding of two long-term friends. As I stood beside my fellow groomsmen, I could not help but notice the sheer number of phones pointed in our direction. My mug was probably captured by over 100 people. And, the wedding had a professional photographer capturing moments with the largest camera at the event. I didn’t get my wedding photos for weeks after our wedding. Professional photos seem to take a lot of time to process. We have shifted to a real-time world. Even events like a wedding happen and the next day you are on to the next thing. We also have good enough cameras on our phones. By the time you get your professional photos, you will not have time to revel in them. You will be experiencing something new… then.

Over the last few weeks, the battery holds a charge for 10-15 minutes. I found myself pouring over new phones, visiting the local shops, and reading about the G1 and the new Blackberry touch. I was willing to switch carriers since my phone was as good as dead. I had it in my mind that I was going to get a new phone. I was looking for a reason and the battery dying was the proverbial straw.

After forgetting about the battery condition for a day or two, I came back to my senses and searched eBay for a new battery. I found a vendor from NYC that had non-OEM batteries for my make and model. I am sure they were stolen, refurbed, or a fire hazard, but the battery was $6 with free shipping. I got the battery last week in a plain white envelope (now the free shipping makes sense). I popped the “hot” battery in and it held a charge for 3 full days. Three days is more than 15 minutes, so my concerns about possibly feeding the black market all of a sudden went away. I left positive feedback and my desire for a new phone also vanished.

I am not sure what the moral of the story is, but I am sure there is a life lesson here. Maybe there are many solutions to problems in life, maybe I should save my money instead of buying new stuff, etc. Regardless, a new cell phone is pretty sweet.