5 ms·

I understand if you want to see the Mona Lisa in person or you want a picture of yourself next to it (understood but annoyed). I do not understand people taking

I understand if you want to see the Mona Lisa in person or you want a picture of yourself next to it (understood but annoyed). I do not understand people taking pictures of the painting by itself. Who does this and why?

mumblemumble 7y ago
For some people, the act of taking a picture enriches the experience, and the pictures one takes oneself are more valuable than the ones you can go find on the Internet. I guess I don't understand that, either, but only in the weak, "there's no accounting for taste" way that I don't understand how some people want whipped cream on their pie or 3D in their movies.
- shusson 7y ago
  > the act of taking a picture enriches the experience I guess if you enjoy photography maybe, but I see a lot of people with just their cell phone. And it's not like you can take your time with the picture, you have to compete with everyone else in the room. > pictures one takes oneself are more valuable than the ones you can go find on the Internet I guess the value implied is sentimental? If anything I imagine that would bring back horrible memories of being stuck in a room packed with people trying to take pictures of a painting. But hey maybe that's why most people leave disappointed.
  - mumblemumble 7y ago
    So, in effect, you could accept that someone might want hand-whipped cream on their pie, but not Cool Whip?
ghaff 7y ago
I certainly wouldn't of the Mona Lisa. But I do sometimes snap pics of artworks and information displays so that I can remember to read up some more on them when I get home.
ajnin 7y ago
I sometimes get that urge, either because there are so many paintings that I can't possibly watch them all in detail in a single visit, so I snap a picture thinking I'll review them later (I usually don't), or I like a painting so much that I take a picture so that I'm able to watch it again later (I rarely do). I have a phone with a nice camera and pictures of painting you can find online are often of very poor quality. On the other had there is that strange mental phenomenon that if I take a picture of something then I tend not to remember it very well. Something in my brain must decide that it does not need to store information that is available on hand. So I try not to do it too much.

mumblemumble 7y ago

For some people, the act of taking a picture enriches the experience, and the pictures one takes oneself are more valuable than the ones you can go find on the Internet. I guess I don't understand that, either, but only in the weak, "there's no accounting for taste" way that I don't understand how some people want whipped cream on their pie or 3D in their movies.

shusson 7y ago
> the act of taking a picture enriches the experience I guess if you enjoy photography maybe, but I see a lot of people with just their cell phone. And it's not like you can take your time with the picture, you have to compete with everyone else in the room. > pictures one takes oneself are more valuable than the ones you can go find on the Internet I guess the value implied is sentimental? If anything I imagine that would bring back horrible memories of being stuck in a room packed with people trying to take pictures of a painting. But hey maybe that's why most people leave disappointed.
- mumblemumble 7y ago
  So, in effect, you could accept that someone might want hand-whipped cream on their pie, but not Cool Whip?

ghaff 7y ago

I certainly wouldn't of the Mona Lisa. But I do sometimes snap pics of artworks and information displays so that I can remember to read up some more on them when I get home.

ajnin 7y ago

I sometimes get that urge, either because there are so many paintings that I can't possibly watch them all in detail in a single visit, so I snap a picture thinking I'll review them later (I usually don't), or I like a painting so much that I take a picture so that I'm able to watch it again later (I rarely do). I have a phone with a nice camera and pictures of painting you can find online are often of very poor quality. On the other had there is that strange mental phenomenon that if I take a picture of something then I tend not to remember it very well. Something in my brain must decide that it does not need to store information that is available on hand. So I try not to do it too much.