If you’re a regular visitor of my /photos page, you might have noticed that I uploaded some new photos on there.
The past week, I was in Belgium, together with my girlfriend. We had an Airbnb in the northern part of Ghent, but since Belgium is compact and public transport is excellent (kinda like here in Switzerland), we also made day-trips to Brussels and Antwerpen. All three cities were nice, but ultimately, I liked Ghent the most. The medieval charm of the city with its canals just had something.
As with practically every place I visit abroad, I took loads of photos. And in hindsight, I really like having some visually pleasing memories to look at. I enjoy editing my favorite shots and sharing them with others.
But while I’m actually there, in this foreign city, I’ve noticed that my internal pressure of trying to “capture the moment” as best as possible often stresses me out. I always take far too many photos and end up with snapshots, that don’t really mean anything to me. I’d say that in the end, only about 5 – 10% of all pictures taken are worth keeping, organizing and editing. Is this the price to pay for these couple of nice shots?
I honestly don’t know. But what I know is that when I actively decide not to take out my camera for a couple of hours and not feeling the need to constantly look for the next motive, I feel way more relaxed. I’m actually living the moment. Sure, there is a bit of FOMO involved, but generally speaking, it’s a liberating feeling1.
On the other hand, in a vacuum (meaning without the constant lookout for subjects), I also enjoy taking photos. Framing the shot, repositioning myself, maybe adjusting some settings and then pressing the shutter button. It’s like painting a picture, a craft where I can express my viewpoint of a location or situation.
Intentional capturing
So what do I plan to do in the future about this dilemma?
Well, I definitely want to be more mindful about taking photos. I would rather not amass a plethora of snapshots of your typical tourist destination. The kinds of photos you’d also find when googling the city. I wish to capture real situations, the people I’m with or just a random view I enjoy. The kinds of photos that tell a story. Not the picture of a picture in a museum that I’ll never look at again.
I want to leave my camera in my pocket more. Because it forces me to actively decide to take it out and compose a picture. It shouldn’t take a split second decision, it should require a feeling of “that’s a moment worth capturing”.
I’m also contemplating of getting an analog camera. Having a physical limit for possible images is somehow a freeing thought. As with everything creative, constraints are great. Plus, I think I would thoroughly enjoy the process of getting into analog photography.
But one thing is sure: When in doubt, I want to prioritize living the moment and forget about my camera for a bit.
Footnotes
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Although this feeling usually only comes after a few days, when I know that I have already captured a handful of beautiful moments. ↩