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Five reasons to leave your camera at home
When packing for that dream trip, a camera is usually high on the list of essential items. Actually, it's not as important as some people think. Here are five reasons to leave your camera at home.One less thing to worry about
It puts a barrier between you and the people
Nothing makes you stand out more than pointing a camera at a complete stranger. An unsuspecting market stall owner or farmer or palace guard is busy trying to do his or her job, and suddenly some tourist comes along and sticks a big lens in their face. Not a good way to get the locals to warm up to you. In some places, posing for photos has become a business and you'll be promptly asked for cash after you take a shot, or be badgered by flocks of children asking for their photo to be taken. Some countries have strict rules about what you can photograph. I once got told off by a cop in Tehran because I took a photo of a statue. The statue was fine, but including the post office behind it was forbidden because it was a government building. With no camera in sight, you'll get a lot less harassment.
Really, does anyone care?
There's nothing quite as boring as looking at someone else's holiday snaps. Oh sure, your family and friends will make admiring noises and ask to see more, but that's because they like you. They'd like you more if you closed the photo album or computer and took them out for a drink.
It can interfere with the moment
When my wife and I attended an archaeology conference in Oxford, we and the other participants got invited to walk among the stones of Stonehenge at dawn. As the sun rose between two of the standing stones it cast an eerie glow through the mist. Everyone hurried to take a picture while I stood there in awe. The conditions were such that nobody got a perfect shot. I ended up with the best memory of the event, still vivid after seven years, because I was actually looking at the sunrise instead of trying to capture it. (Full disclosure: this was mostly due to the fact that my wife was holding our camera at that moment, otherwise it would be her bragging right now.)
Over at Postsecret, where people send in heartfelt messages and confessions on anonymous postcards, someone who says he plays Mickey Mouse at Disneyland tells parents not to rush over and take a picture of their kid cuddling him because the best part of his job is seeing the kid's face light up at meeting him. Taking a shot distracts both him and the kid from a magical moment. Who are we to disagree with Mickey Mouse?
You can get better pictures elsewhere
Chances are you're not a professional photographer. Even if you are, when you're on vacation you probably don't have the time or inclination to take professional quality photos anyway. The pros work under ideal conditions with expensive equipment, and often wait hours, days, or even weeks for the perfect shot. Benefit from and reward their labor by buying postcards and coffee table books full of amazing images of the places you've been. Or check out our Photo of the Day section.
So when you're packing for your next vacation, rethink what you're putting in your bags. Your trip might just be the better for it.
There's nothing quite as boring as looking at someone else's holiday snaps. Oh sure, your family and friends will make admiring noises and ask to see more, but that's because they like you. They'd like you more if you closed the photo album or computer and took them out for a drink.
It can interfere with the moment
When my wife and I attended an archaeology conference in Oxford, we and the other participants got invited to walk among the stones of Stonehenge at dawn. As the sun rose between two of the standing stones it cast an eerie glow through the mist. Everyone hurried to take a picture while I stood there in awe. The conditions were such that nobody got a perfect shot. I ended up with the best memory of the event, still vivid after seven years, because I was actually looking at the sunrise instead of trying to capture it. (Full disclosure: this was mostly due to the fact that my wife was holding our camera at that moment, otherwise it would be her bragging right now.)
Over at Postsecret, where people send in heartfelt messages and confessions on anonymous postcards, someone who says he plays Mickey Mouse at Disneyland tells parents not to rush over and take a picture of their kid cuddling him because the best part of his job is seeing the kid's face light up at meeting him. Taking a shot distracts both him and the kid from a magical moment. Who are we to disagree with Mickey Mouse?
You can get better pictures elsewhere
Chances are you're not a professional photographer. Even if you are, when you're on vacation you probably don't have the time or inclination to take professional quality photos anyway. The pros work under ideal conditions with expensive equipment, and often wait hours, days, or even weeks for the perfect shot. Benefit from and reward their labor by buying postcards and coffee table books full of amazing images of the places you've been. Or check out our Photo of the Day section.
So when you're packing for your next vacation, rethink what you're putting in your bags. Your trip might just be the better for it.
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 6)
Sally Feb 5th 2010 11:27AM
>>it eventually dawned on me that one of the prime reasons I was taking pictures was to impress and to dazzle my friends and relatives back home
You sound like the kind of bore who forces his friends to sit through the endless "my vacation" album. So, for people like you, the article makes sense.
As for myself, I take photos for my own pleasure. I'm not so insecure that I need a photo to prove to others that I've "been there, done that". I "need" a photo because I've had a full life with more beautiful little moments than I can easily recall. A photo takes me back to the moment, sparks the memory of my other senses and allows me to mentally relive something wonderful or beautiful or unique.
One of my favorite albums is filled with pics I've taken of other people taking pictures! People contorting their bodies into pretzels or hanging from a tree branch or laying on their bellies to get just the "right" angle on their shot. That album never ceases to make me laugh right out loud!
Tim Feb 5th 2010 12:20PM
Sean: Glad your dad or mom had a chance to comment on your article
jitterbopper Feb 5th 2010 9:04AM
ONE reason for un-happiness is trying to keep a moment forever. It's called being attached.
As beautiful as they are, these moments are to be enjoyed and then be let go.
It's called living in the present. For one leg to be dwelling in the past, and one leg to be thinking of the future,, you piss all over today.
HaHa Feb 5th 2010 9:08AM
Of course this is a tongue in cheek article. The author just wants to get a rise out of everyone. A lot of you fell for it.
Cooper Feb 5th 2010 1:36PM
I don't think it is tongue in cheek, and I generally agree in principle with the author. I've been all over the world and there is virtually no tourist site I've ever seen or photographed (think St. Louis Arch, Mount Rushmore, every monument in DC, virtually every Buddhist temple in Thailand, etc. etc. etc. ) that hasn't already been photographed by someone with better equipment, a better eye, at a better time of day, with better lighting than I had. I don't think Sean is saying that you should never attempt to capture moments on your own camera - just that people spend far too much time when they're traveling trying to capture mere images of a location instead of experiencing the place.
BILL Feb 5th 2010 9:13AM
OH HOW I DISAGREE WITH THE IDIOT WRITER.
CAMERAS ARE A TOOL USED TO BRING MEMORIES BACK TO LIFE.
THEY ARE SMALL AND STRONG ENOUGH AND WATERPROOF
TO TAKE ANYWHERE.
YOU CARRY YOUR CELL PHONE CONSTANTLY..
WHILE NOT ON VACATION,
SO WHY NOT SLIDE A CAMERA IN YOU JEANS OR CARGO SHORTS.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SEEN SOMETHING
AND WISHED YOU HAD A CAMERA.
DON'T LISTEN TO THIS LIMP WRISTED TROLL.
BRING YOUR CAMERA....
HAPPY VACATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!1
June Feb 5th 2010 9:24AM
The person writing this must have been given an assignment, or he/she lacks "soul." Last week my grandson was delighted to have copies of pictures that I made in Japan over twenty years ago for his school project. I've traveled over much of the world and relive those happy memories through photos. Photos last much longer than our memories!
rkatk Feb 5th 2010 9:28AM
What a totally rediculous article.
Shea Feb 5th 2010 2:29PM
Wow, talk about wrong. I guess they just give anyone a forum to write an article. I just looked at my friend/co-worker's book of photos of she and her husband's trip to Europe (also having day trips to concentration camps). These are places I have never been and might never go. I loved every second seeing her images. I also take photographs when I go somewhere. Often people request copies from me. Anyway, you can leave your camera at home and go out for drinks. I prefer to capture the memories in mind and in print.
Susan Feb 6th 2010 10:36AM
NO! NO! NO! Are you nuts? There are times when you are on vacation that necessitate a photo! How many times might you get to go to Rome or Greece or be underwater with the sparkle of tropical fish or any other number of situations! The only thing I agree with is something that someone said in a comment and that is to use film rather than digital. The old fashioned 35 mm film will stay with you for years and years. I still have many pics from 40 or 50 years ago and they still look fresh! I have lost many digital pics due to computer problems!
So bring your camera! It's about the only thing that should NEVER be left home!
lionshooter Feb 5th 2010 9:54AM
What a killjoy! I am a pro and do not take pro equipment on travels but DO take my Fuji S1000 because it will do what the pro camera does but is small and unobtrusive. My photos are not taken to bore my friends and family. I take them for ME. A few weeks after the trip, one tends to forget a lot of the details but the pics bring them all back.
So do not take this guy's advice. However, always be aware of regulations. Pics of government buildings are often forbidden. I was actually arrested in Koutiala, Mali for taking a shot of a road sign! Had to see the magistrate who asked to see my photo permit. As soon as I produced it, he let me go. How many people traveling to Mali know they need a photo permit? None. But I grew up there.In some cultures, especially in Mali, it is an offense to capture someone's soul by taking their photo. Ask first.
And if it gets stolen, whose fault is that anyway?
Use someone else's pics? Screw that. Mine are usually better.
Cooper Feb 5th 2010 10:08AM
It's not a matter of "leave it to the pros." It's a matter of "why go through the agony of taking pictures of sites that have been photographed by dozens if not hundreds of people before?" I'd have to say, generally, I agree with the author here. Unless you've been somewhere before, it's best not to spend too much time behind a camera lens. You miss out on "moments" and you can definitely obtain better pictures than the ones you could take.
I used to travel extensively and I finally made the realization that I could simply buy coffee table books which contained awesome photos of virtually everything I had seen and attempted to photograph myself. I could add my own notes in the margins and - voila! - instant journal/scrapbook.
Of course, back then, not only did I have the camera to carry around, I had to buy film, load film, pay to develop film, and then store thousands of prints and negatives (never got into slides) once I got home. I still have crates of prints taking up room in my house that I might look at once every five years. (I could scan them onto disks, but it would take days and weeks to finish that project.)
That's why I became such a fan of digital photography - no film and no prints. I can put hundreds of shots on a single CD and tuck the disk away in a folder on the bookshelf. Every once in a while, I'll put all the photos on a disk into a slide show and add some music. We can pop those disks in our DVD player and watch them as a family instead of watching some crappy movie. I can carry the disk with me when we visit other family members MUCH more easily than dragging a crate of photo albums with me!
Now, I'm a family man and that definitely puts a different spin on this issue. Recently I took my family to Disney World. No postcard or book could capture what WE experienced, so I had to take pictures. I bought a cheap Casio still camera that I can jam in my front pocket - not much to worry about there. Even better, my daughter also had a cheap-ish digital camera with her, so I actually appeared in a few shots for a change.
On a related note: I'm also a huge videophile and I've spent hours videotaping my kids. I was recently dumping old tapes to disk and discovered a 1-minute scene that was worth every hour and dollar I've spent on video equipment. So, while I agree with the author in principle, when it comes to my kids these five factors are somewhat offset by the value of what I capture.
mikerat42 Feb 5th 2010 10:13AM
These idiots will write ANYTHING just to fill their quotas.. This article is moronic...
z Feb 5th 2010 10:32AM
Sounds like Scrooge wrote this article! Ba Humbug!
ayumanbean Feb 5th 2010 11:46AM
Really dumb article. Who is this guy to tell me HOW I should experience things and what brings me the most joy. I am a major picture taker. It does not get between me and nature. In fact, I look at things with more detail and from different angles. This article was all PERSONAL feelings. The writer feels like they are putting something in their face or coming between them and things. I still love the picture albums I made from trips 20 years ago...and we look at them and love them. Dumb article.
Cat Feb 5th 2010 10:42AM
Goodness! This post reads as a desperate attempt to find something, anything, to write about. Lame post, and lame reasoning.
Photographer Feb 5th 2010 10:49AM
Now everybody's pissing and moaning about people taking pictures. Is that going to become politically incorrect also..?? Americans are sure becomming a bunch of whiners...
mythoughts Feb 5th 2010 10:58AM
better ideal leave the cell phone at home, savor the monent for yourself. NOT somebody who is not there, I see idoits with their face down texting while the full glory of nature is all around them. I see U-tube videos of vacations- mostly out of focus and boring, taken from a cell phone . We treasure our pictures of vacation more than some over prices souvenirs. We were there and here is proof! However it is important to be consider of others. Never take a picture of a person without asking, and never take pictures inside a religous shrine.
Jim Feb 5th 2010 11:04AM
I take photos for me. Not to "bore" some one else. You do not have to stick a big lens in some ones face or do any thing that might alienate the locals. Or even disturb the folks around you.
I also do not travel with tour groups so there is less of a chance of being surrounded by fools with flashes.
Margaret Feb 5th 2010 11:09AM
Righto. And what annoys me PLENTY is being made to step aside so someone with a camera can get a good view.