Fireworks and Smartphones

yeah, I’ve been that guy

What's better: immersing yourself in the concert, feeling the music reverberate through your body, or snapping 10-second bits of a song to enjoy later? Or how about trying to take photos of a fireworks show instead of enjoying the booming explosions of light in the night sky? The answer is obvious. 

That said, we instinctively reach for our phones at some point to "capture" a moment.

Moments are difficult to imprison, and their transient nature can easily pass through the bars and frames of photography. Throwing a lasso around the spirit of the moment is often a wasted effort.

There are a few exceptions. I love looking at older photos of my kids. Going back and listening to the voices of our children when they were smaller is a true gift of the modern age to parents. I'm a decent landscape photographer, and I genuinely feel a sense of accomplishment and gratitude when I review my photos years later.

But humans aren't meant to capture every moment we find exciting and store it on a digital shelf for later enjoyment. If we do, the memory is there, but not nearly as potent as it was in real-time. If anything, it may even be a bit stale.

So if you're like me and you find yourself chasing the spirit of a moment with a net, drop the cell phone and just enjoy it. You won't enjoy that concert more in the future than you will at the moment. Plus...You only bought the cheap seats!

That beautiful and exotic dish won't be any tastier on your social media timeline than it will be when you eat it. Your senses were designed to enjoy the present. Take one photo, then put the phone down, enjoy the show, enjoy your meal, and take in the experience with your fully engaged senses.

Anyway, thanks for reading friend. Have a great weekend!