4 ms·

I actually think tourist-y photography reduces the experience of traveling. I realize for someone deep into photogrphy it may be the opposite. I remember going

I actually think tourist-y photography reduces the experience of traveling. I realize for someone deep into photogrphy it may be the opposite. I remember going to Tanzania for a safari with my dad when he turned 50. It was amazing and everyone wanted to document everything. This was 2007 so no Ig. At some point I realized that staring at my viewfinder is a bit less immersive than actually looking, smelling and feeling your surroundings. Even the mental state of looking for frames or photogenic objects oriented me towards thinking about when I'm no longer here, showing stuff to my friends.

a2tech 8y ago
I also don't take photographs when we're traveling. Unless I see my wife looking particularly charming or the mood strikes me, I just wander around and look at things. What I've found is that since EVERYTHING is photographed all the time and I'm constantly exposed to them, most of these spots to visit are anticlimactic in the extreme. St Paul's Cathedral? Meh. I've seen everything in it from every angle shot by professional photographers that have been given access that I'll never have. Every beach we visit, every set of mountains we hit, I've seen photographed and captured at its most perfect. My random Sunday afternoon visit will never live up to it. I still find some enjoyment in it but most of the joy of a new discovery has been sapped away.
ip26 8y ago
I would probably count as "opposite", one of my favorite parts of traveling is stalking wild birds. A supertele lens gets you a better view than the naked eye, and to get a good photo you have to watch your subject for a while, which teaches you about their behavior in ways you wouldn't notice just walking by.
stordoff 8y ago
I find I'm the opposite. Wanting to photograph things makes me _more_ aware of my surroundings, and take them in more.

a2tech 8y ago

I also don't take photographs when we're traveling. Unless I see my wife looking particularly charming or the mood strikes me, I just wander around and look at things. What I've found is that since EVERYTHING is photographed all the time and I'm constantly exposed to them, most of these spots to visit are anticlimactic in the extreme. St Paul's Cathedral? Meh. I've seen everything in it from every angle shot by professional photographers that have been given access that I'll never have. Every beach we visit, every set of mountains we hit, I've seen photographed and captured at its most perfect. My random Sunday afternoon visit will never live up to it. I still find some enjoyment in it but most of the joy of a new discovery has been sapped away.

ip26 8y ago

I would probably count as "opposite", one of my favorite parts of traveling is stalking wild birds. A supertele lens gets you a better view than the naked eye, and to get a good photo you have to watch your subject for a while, which teaches you about their behavior in ways you wouldn't notice just walking by.

stordoff 8y ago

I find I'm the opposite. Wanting to photograph things makes me _more_ aware of my surroundings, and take them in more.