Living life through the viewfinder...some regrets

[PeterToronto]

Greetings guys


Marco Cinnirella recently wrote a guest post on my website that I had to share with you. Marco is a Psychology Professor at a British University, and is also a keen amateur photographer. *He posts regularly on photography forums, and is a fan of Sony DSLRs, and the micro four thirds system. *I*hope that you enjoy his post as much as I did when I first read it...

It dawned on me recently, not as a pro shooter, which I'm not, but as a very keen hobby photographer, that lately I have been living too much of my life behind the viewfinders of my cameras.

I first noticed this problem towards the end of a wonderful vacation in the Canadian Rockies.* It suddenly hit me that while I was still stunned by the scenery, as seen through my SLR viewfinder, I was absolutely blown away by it when I took the camera away from my eye and just lived and breathed the awe inspiring views for myself through my own eyes. *I was bitterly disappointed that I had more or less only seen some of the glorious views through my 24mm lens.

Most recently, I took a family vacation with my wife, three and one year old. *As usual, I had a couple of cameras, some lenses, and accessories with me. Very quickly I sank into the old habit of having the camera up to my eye virtually the whole time. *My poor wife was often left with both kids to look after as I wandered around looking for that elusive 'perfect shot' or new take on a seasoned postcard view. *How she put up with this for two weeks I don't know, but looking back it seems rather selfish of me.

What concerns me most is that I am beginning to realize how I am in a way experiencing some key events in my family's life, and children's development, through the lens. Somehow it's not the same. *For example, my 3-year old saw the ocean for the first time ever 'in real life' on this recent trip. *My wife took him onto the shore and built sandcastles and paddled with him, while I minded the baby and snapped away at my wife and toddler. *While I got some nice images, I missed out on this special little event and it was gone forever. * I never heard my toddler's reaction when the cold ocean water lapped over his feet for the first time, nor did I see the look on his face when he completed his first sand castle. You get the picture.

Back home, I realize that I'm no better. *I see my kids doing something really cute or new for the first time and my instant reflex reaction is to grab a camera (or camcorder).

It's finally dawned on me that some of the most key (maybe mundane for some people but special for me) events in my life are slipping by, and I am only ever experiencing them through a lens. *While I love photography I now realize the balance here isn't right.* I need to live and experience some things first hand, even if that means the only image I have is that captured by my mind's eye rather than that of a CMOS chip.

Peace
Peter

peter anthony PHOTOGRAPHY - Home

[Marko]

WOW - I can so empathize with this point of view. Thx for sharing this, I'll probably tweet it as I'm sure it will resonate with others.

I've been extremely lucky in life in that I have traveled to some really cool places. I'm not really a landscape shooter but when I see a cool landscape, I stop experiencing the beauty and put the viewfinder to my eye. This 100% detracts from the experience of living, of just being there, of soaking it all in.

It's a constant struggle and my wife is less tolerant of eating up our vacation with a camera next to my eye while she waits. She wants to experience the moment with me, and this cannot be done if I am 'distracted' with shooting.

Fabulous post - thx for sharing it!
Marko

[Kawarthabob]

Like many "hobbies" it is easy for any of us to dive right into it a little too much. I had a music teacher that advised me to have more than one hobby as to not devote too much of my life on playing guitar. His advise was that if you delve too much into one thing it is possible that you will lose out on life or go insane. Everything is good in moderation. It is a noble idea that you want to archive family through photography ( i lost years of pics through a house fire) but we tend to overdo it at times and must realize that we must slow down and experiance life, then we can record it for others to witness.
Great post!

[scorpio_e]

It is an interesting read.

I find it a double edged sword. Photography takes me to places I never would have gone. It gives me the opportunity to meet people that I never would have met. I have interacted with people that I never would have before. It inspires me to seek out new challenges. I look for the light and I look for the shadows. I see out elements of nature. I look when I have gone and where I am going.

I shot the fireworks display last year. I got some great captures but I felt I missed the fireworks experience. This year no camera and I biked to the fireworks display.

I understand the loss....

[AcadieLibre]

I only found I did that when I first started with digital photography unlike film number of photos were unimportant as you could take almost an endless stream of them and also found the thought process was not the same. It is why I now take so long to get a photo taken, I enjoy the scene, take it all in then once I have I take my photos. When I take family photos almost all of the time I just use my wife's point and shoot and take casual photos so I can be involved and capture the moments in a spontaneous fashion. I rather miss a photo then miss the experience. Photography should compliment life not become it.

[Mad Aussie]

I think I can agree with just about point made in here. I can also say that I'm glad spend a lot of time behind the viewfinder because, as Scorpio said, it drives me to go places and see things I otherwise would not see at all.

Being an avid photographer also means I 'see' photos' where a non photog would not. It's because instead of just looking ... I see. And I appreciate what I'm seeing all the time.

In landscape photography I don't feel I'm missing any experience for these reasons and I often just sit and look at the vistas I've been shooting and allow the grandeur to sink in. The viewfinder certainly doesn't allow that. I don't smell, hear and feel things when looking through a small glass window.

I often don't take my camera to people activities because I think it's rude to have the camera to your face all the time when you among people you know.
I don't take it on every walk I do either. Sometimes it's nice to just walk and enjoy without it ... although I still look for and see photos as I go along.

Taking lots of shots of your kids etc has it's advantages when you're older and want to remember more clearly. I wish I had more of my kids and friends when I was younger but we didn't have a good camera back then or any idea really.

In the end, balance is the key and that's different for us all.

[PeterToronto]

Some great follow up posts here guys.

Marco's post strongly conveys the need for balance..a balance that's necessary in all aspects of life. He allowed me to post a photo of his on my site to compliment his guest article. Judging by the image, it's no wonder that he's torn between capturing the moment, and being a fully active participant.

Feel free to tweet the post of you like Marko.

I'm currently on my island on Jack Lake. I only mention this because I can't send you the image directly. I also mention where I am because kawarthabob replied to the opening post and I'm curious if he is familiar with Jack Lake in Apsley.

Peace
Peter

peter anthony PHOTOGRAPHY - Home