A recent hike left me with a lot of pictures, but hardly anything to say. Here's how photography has started to reshape our outdoor experiences for the worse:
Hi Cole, our minds eye gives us the best views and memories….plus no worries of iCloud account is full need to upgrade. Of course pictures capture special events, family, friends, scenery for others to enjoy as well….but try not to lose the actual moment.
Totally agree; your eyes are the best for picking up on little details. The way our brains automatically zoom in on details we find interesting -- so cool! Definitely important to hold onto those special moments. Thanks for reading!
Ugh. I feel this too deeply. I LOVE talking pictures and always take too many. But I love the way they help me tell a story and keep a visual of the memory. Figuring out the balance is tough. One thing I did realize this year, however: no one on my social media page really cares too see ALL of my vacation photos. That epiphany made it much easier to take Facebook off of my phone.
A running joke of mine: there are two kinds of Instagram stories:
-- -- --
or
..................
No one wants to click through 1,000,000 pictures. I think we need to get back to using photography to highlight special moments. It seems like photography has started veering into the territory of content creation trends; "just make a lot of it, who cares whether it's good!" We're robbing ourselves of the chance to really take in and enjoy nature, and getting nothing for it.
Glad this realization helped you ditch Facebook on your phone. Here's to living in the moment!
I agree about overkill! I normally don't take photos on runs, only a few on special hikes. The photos (with my lack of skill, anyway) never do the landscape justice.
I can so identify with your article! I have one single photo album from the first 18 years of my life. Then another 4 from college (4 years). And another 9 from grad school (5 years)...and that just the trips I took, not everyday life stuff. After that, I gave up because there were just SO MANY PICTURES! Once I got a digital camera, they started to multiply exponentially. Then I got a smartphone, and they multiplied even more to the point of overwhelm. Then I started writing on Substack, and I've started viewing life through the lens of being able to use a photo for my newsletter rather than just capturing meaningful moments. Maybe it's time to start getting back to the more simple way of taking photos.
Although, I do have to say, as a reader, looking at your photos is one of my favorite parts of reading your newsletter. You are also great at writing, but the photos get me every time.
Thank you for your kind words! I do love taking pictures to help put these views in reach for more people. The digital camera is both a blessing and a curse
This comment/question is nearly five months further down on the calendar, your “relaunch” comment sparked curiosity sufficient to launch an initial look for me. That being said, on the last photo posted up there, was it just a ridge-line capture, or inspired by something else?
The last Photo. Couldn’t help but notice there was an obscure capture included: an open descending parachute, falling between the ridge-lines just right if center. Zooming, I still couldn’t tell if it was a powered chute. Doesn’t look like it. Odd place for a single chute to be coming down 🤔
Hi Cole, our minds eye gives us the best views and memories….plus no worries of iCloud account is full need to upgrade. Of course pictures capture special events, family, friends, scenery for others to enjoy as well….but try not to lose the actual moment.
Totally agree; your eyes are the best for picking up on little details. The way our brains automatically zoom in on details we find interesting -- so cool! Definitely important to hold onto those special moments. Thanks for reading!
Ugh. I feel this too deeply. I LOVE talking pictures and always take too many. But I love the way they help me tell a story and keep a visual of the memory. Figuring out the balance is tough. One thing I did realize this year, however: no one on my social media page really cares too see ALL of my vacation photos. That epiphany made it much easier to take Facebook off of my phone.
A running joke of mine: there are two kinds of Instagram stories:
-- -- --
or
..................
No one wants to click through 1,000,000 pictures. I think we need to get back to using photography to highlight special moments. It seems like photography has started veering into the territory of content creation trends; "just make a lot of it, who cares whether it's good!" We're robbing ourselves of the chance to really take in and enjoy nature, and getting nothing for it.
Glad this realization helped you ditch Facebook on your phone. Here's to living in the moment!
Yes!
I agree about overkill! I normally don't take photos on runs, only a few on special hikes. The photos (with my lack of skill, anyway) never do the landscape justice.
Your photos I've seen have come out great! But I do think there's something to be said for saving them for special moments!
I can so identify with your article! I have one single photo album from the first 18 years of my life. Then another 4 from college (4 years). And another 9 from grad school (5 years)...and that just the trips I took, not everyday life stuff. After that, I gave up because there were just SO MANY PICTURES! Once I got a digital camera, they started to multiply exponentially. Then I got a smartphone, and they multiplied even more to the point of overwhelm. Then I started writing on Substack, and I've started viewing life through the lens of being able to use a photo for my newsletter rather than just capturing meaningful moments. Maybe it's time to start getting back to the more simple way of taking photos.
Although, I do have to say, as a reader, looking at your photos is one of my favorite parts of reading your newsletter. You are also great at writing, but the photos get me every time.
Thank you for your kind words! I do love taking pictures to help put these views in reach for more people. The digital camera is both a blessing and a curse
This comment/question is nearly five months further down on the calendar, your “relaunch” comment sparked curiosity sufficient to launch an initial look for me. That being said, on the last photo posted up there, was it just a ridge-line capture, or inspired by something else?
The last photo, or last drawing?
The last Photo. Couldn’t help but notice there was an obscure capture included: an open descending parachute, falling between the ridge-lines just right if center. Zooming, I still couldn’t tell if it was a powered chute. Doesn’t look like it. Odd place for a single chute to be coming down 🤔
Thought provoking, however I do believe magic can happen before and after the shot. More is not always better, but more can be good, not always bad.
Thank you for reading, and merry Christmas!
Yes!! This is so important. I've found that actually DOING SOMETHING with the pictures helps you actually remember the trip more