Living life through the viewfinder

[nerwin]

Last weekend I was at a NHRA drag race event, I like cars, engines and well....11,000hp. Who wouldn't?!

Anyways I originally went to there to have a good time and not think about life for a while and enjoy the experience but I ended up spending 90% of the time taking photos and yes, I got handful of winners that I'm proud of but if anyone has been to one of these NHRA drag race events then you know there are nearly 50k people there and at the dragway in my area, it was pretty crowded. Taking pictures becomes a challenge at times.

So I basically took a day where I was suppose to chill out and have fun into work and in return I missed out on a lot of happenings around me because I was so focused on taking photos. Don't get me wrong, I love taking photos so it's not necessary work, but you guys get what I mean...

The point I'm trying to make is that maybe there are times and places where we should put the camera down and just enjoy life rather than take photos, because who wants to live life looking through the viewfinder? (or LCD screen). I also think there are times and places that we should photograph. I guess we just have to find that perfect harmony.

I know quite a few people say you must bring your camera with you everywhere if you want to be a good photographer but should we always?

 

[Overread]

I fully agree.
I'd also add that if you've gone with other people then putting the camera down is important to socialise and be with them not to just focus on taking photos all the time.


Of course there's a huge grey area between the two extremes of all photography and no photography and if you've got a good compact camera chances are you can take that along to events and take Happy Snaps and be quite content with just memories from the photos rather than making photos.


Heck I've also got to a point where I can judge if its worth even trying for a shot; sometimes I still do because I choose too; but if a birds so far off that its a dot chances are I can enjoy it more to track the motion of flight and see the bird rather than trying to take photos of what will just be a smudge on the photo .

 

[webestang64]

I carry a camera everywhere I go.....but a lot of times I wind up doing only that, carrying it around.

What gets me are all the people that have to record everything they do or see on their phone. I'm sure you saw many people in the crowd at the drag race with their phone in the air and blocking others view. Does not sound like fun to me watching the race that you at on the back of your phone.......

 

[vintagesnaps]

I agree, when you're taking pictures you miss other things happening. I found that shooting hockey/events; I love it but also love to just watch a game or enjoy an event. Especially using a telephoto lens, I see what's at a distance and what I'm focused on but it's different than the experience of watching the game as a fan. (Although I can do both sometimes watching a game; the time a puck bounced off my lens was from the seats not ice level! lol)

Wouldn't have missed the opportunity to be at ice level shooting, loved every minute of it and it's a different set of experiences, but I have fun just watching a game too.

Sometimes if you take a break for awhile from something, you can feel refreshed and energized coming back to it.

 

[SquarePeg]

I can definitely relate to what you're saying nerwin. I found myself missing out on family and fun events and getting stressed during vacations because my family/friends were aggravated at me for fiddling with my photos instead of enjoying their company and I was aggravated with them for rushing me and missing the shot because I hurried. Now I try to balance it. When we go on family vacations I'll get up early and go out "for a walk" with my camera in the early hours or right after dinner and try to get some shooting time in. When we're out socializing at family events or concerts etc I leave it home unless someone requests that I bring it like a wedding or birthday party/anniversary. On our recent trip to Disneyland I only really used my camera two days out of 6 and one of those I went by myself 2 hours ahead of everyone else into Disneyland Park and took my time taking photos and enjoying the scenery without holding up my family then I stashed it in a locker for the rest of the day. I did the same with my friends when we went to Nashville. While they were primping and fluffing after dinner I grabbed my gear and went downtown to shoot the neon and met up with them a few hours later.

This is one of the reasons I just bought the Fuji XT2. I wanted something lighter but also something more small and casual looking so it wasn't a big deal every time I took out my camera.

 

[jcdeboever]

I'm enjoying life when I'm taking pictures....

 

[table1349]

While I'm enjoying life I sometimes take pictures.

 

[nerwin]

I can definitely relate to what you're saying nerwin. I found myself missing out on family and fun events and getting stressed during vacations because my family/friends were aggravated at me for fiddling with my photos instead of enjoying their company and I was aggravated with them for rushing me and missing the shot because I hurried. Now I try to balance it. When we go on family vacations I'll get up early and go out "for a walk" with my camera in the early hours or right after dinner and try to get some shooting time in. When we're out socializing at family events or concerts etc I leave it home unless someone requests that I bring it like a wedding or birthday party/anniversary. On our recent trip to Disneyland I only really used my camera two days out of 6 and one of those I went by myself 2 hours ahead of everyone else into Disneyland Park and took my time taking photos and enjoying the scenery without holding up my family then I stashed it in a locker for the rest of the day. I did the same with my friends when we went to Nashville. While they were primping and fluffing after dinner I grabbed my gear and went downtown to shoot the neon and met up with them a few hours later.

This is one of the reasons I just bought the Fuji XT2. I wanted something lighter but also something more small and casual looking so it wasn't a big deal every time I took out my camera.

I hate being rushed to take photos!

 

[nerwin]

It's really quite interesting the different philosophies people have.

Like for example, @gryphonslair99 & @jcdeboever said they enjoy life when they are taking photos and as do I. I totally understand that.

It's quite possible event shooting just isn't my forte but I guess I'm a person who likes to hide behind a camera and not interact with people and I guess that's fine? I don't know anymore.

Maybe I am just overthinking this but like another example, am I going to shoot the solar eclipse this August? Probably not because I just rather experience this amazing once in a lifetime opportunity rather than dealing with camera gear, settings..etc. But I know for a fact there will be other photos available everywhere from photographers who are going to capture the experience far better than I ever would.

 

[table1349]

It's really quite interesting the different philosophies people have.

Like for example, @gryphonslair99 & @jcdeboever said they enjoy life when they are taking photos and as do I. I totally understand that.

It's quite possible event shooting just isn't my forte but I guess I'm a person who likes to hide behind a camera and not interact with people and I guess that's fine? I don't know anymore.

Maybe I am just overthinking this but like another example, am I going to shoot the solar eclipse this August? Probably not because I just rather experience this amazing once in a lifetime opportunity rather than dealing with camera gear, settings..etc. But I know for a fact there will be other photos available everywhere from photographers who are going to capture the experience far better than I ever would.

No, that is not what I said. What I said is I choose to enjoy life. If I happen to I some times take pictures, but first and foremost, I enjoy life. I can enjoy life just as much if I don't take pictures.

 

[nerwin]

It's really quite interesting the different philosophies people have.

Like for example, @gryphonslair99 & @jcdeboever said they enjoy life when they are taking photos and as do I. I totally understand that.

It's quite possible event shooting just isn't my forte but I guess I'm a person who likes to hide behind a camera and not interact with people and I guess that's fine? I don't know anymore.

Maybe I am just overthinking this but like another example, am I going to shoot the solar eclipse this August? Probably not because I just rather experience this amazing once in a lifetime opportunity rather than dealing with camera gear, settings..etc. But I know for a fact there will be other photos available everywhere from photographers who are going to capture the experience far better than I ever would.

No, that is not what I said. What I said is I choose to enjoy life. If I happen to I some times take pictures, but first and foremost, I enjoy life. I can enjoy life just as much if I don't take pictures.

Well that's what I mean...geez lol.

 

[DanOstergren]

If taking photos adds to your personal enjoyment of an experience, then you should be taking photos. If it doesn't, don't. Certainly can't expect everyone to enjoy the same things and all have the same experiences.

I personally don't feel like I'm missing any moments when I'm taking pictures at an event, even with a group of friends. Taking a photo only takes about a second, and it's not like we have to walk around with the viewfinder constantly up to our eye if we're taking photos. I just don't see how it causes us to miss anything, and in the end you get something really great out of it depending on how one may value having photographs.