We went camping last weekend by the Russian River, and Marnie tagged along with us, which added a different spin to our usual routine. I’ve never gone camping with a dog, so it was a first!
For this trip, I tried something new; I spent less time taking pics on my phone and more time trying to be present. I only took a handful of shots, including the one at the top.
Have you ever tried this? It’s been years since I’ve attempted to not grab at least a good amount of photos during a trip on my phone, and it was kinda weird for me.
I’m not sure how I feel about it! On one hand, it was really nice to not feel the need to constantly document everything. I really tried harder to burn images in my mind and capture the feelings at the moment—the sweetness of seeing Marnie walk right up to the edge of the river and getting right into the water without any hesitation, or how my heart swelled when Connor and Marnie looked so peaceful curled up together sleeping in the tent.
But on the other hand, I kinda wish I took at least a snap or two of those moments, so that years from now, I could get one of those reminders on my phone that shows me that I was by the water with my people on this specific day.
I legit wonder if I’m gonna remember it, ya know? I used to have a stellar memory; for years, and up until recently, I could remember even seemingly small things, like all my locker combinations during middle and high school, LOL! And now I can barely remember what I did last Monday, eek.
Oh, on a somewhat unrelated note, if you *do* take a dog camping, one thing I learned this time around is to save a little extra energy to give the dog a bath when you get home because they get absolutely filthy! My goodness.
Anywho, are you the type of person who just takes a few pictures on a trip and is fine with that, or do you feel the need to document every moment?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. Happy Wednesday. I hope this week has been treating you well!
I take just a few pictures during an excursion. A lot of times I won’t even have my phone on me if I’m on a vacation/staycation. I think just enough to remember “Oh yeah, that camping trip was super fun and so beautiful”!
Looks like a beautiful place to camp where you were at! And look at Connor Claire’s long legs! She is going to be tall I think!
I come from the “real film camera” generation. We always had to be mindful of running out of film, so we didn’t take anywhere near so many photos (kind of a shame, in a way). Also, there was the price of processing the pictures to consider. I have a very visual memory and can remember a lot of things we never photographed. Most of our “family photos” at family reunions were essentially phony as no one was really happy to be there. I remember just one photo that showed the real boredom and ennui of the event, that must have been taken a bit “on the sly” as our pictures weren’t often candid.
I do remember a trip we took in a rented RV to a lake in Texas – 6 people (2 adults and 4 kids ranging in age from about 8 to 18) and a Collie dog. Not as horrible as you might think. A funny thing about the dog is when we went to the lake, he seemed obsessed with drinking the lake water. Never swam in it, though.
Looks like you had a bunch of fun! That is awesome! I agree, Connor looks like she’s sprouting. I love the joy on her face whenever she pops up. Glad you brought Marnie because boarding adds up! Plus I think bringing the pups everywhere makes it easier and easier each time, and there’s the bonding to consider. Hope there’s more of these special moments for you soon. <3
I like taking photos and documenting experiences and events. I think it’s part of being in the moment for me. Not composed shots with the perfect lighting, angles, hair etc. Just pictures of moments I want to remember. It’s especially important for me because my kid is still young and there are all these experiences that he might not remember in a few years. He loves scrolling through all the photos on my phone and talking about his memories. I’ve never regretted taking too many pictures. I did the photo slideshow for my mom’s memorial recently and I felt like I saw her entire life in over 250 photos and felt comforted that she lived a full life with her family and friends.
I just take a few photos because I want to experience the holiday in person, not from behind a camera..!
Hey, Karen! I think it’s a great idea to take fewer pics and live in the moment versus always having a phone between you and life. If you’re feeling like maybe this last trip, you wouldn’t have minded capturing some that you didn’t, then you can always up the frequency of your photo-taking in relation to the time span of the event (camping trip, Connor’s dance event, family cuddle time on a weekend). Because I feel you on the loosening of the memory. Also, having a photo of a sweet or beautiful or funny or astounding moment pop up is always a mood booster, especially of Hana (I know you feel the same about Tabs).
I have mixed feeling about that. On the one hand…I hate always being attached to technology and my phone. I feel like it’s very hard to walk away from the convenience of smart phones. Everything is right at your fingertips. On the other…I love all the photos. We have Google Nests in several rooms of the house. I love watching the different photos pop up on the screens from different years and events in our lives. And they are “real” pictures of our moments. Not staged with a professional.
I once saw a photo exhibition in 2014 at the Met Museum and the quote at the beginning of the exhibit by Garry Winogrand was “If you didn’t take the picture, you weren’t there.” That stuck with me all these years.
That said, I mostly hate my brick (that’s what I call my phone) I feel like there’s no reason I need to be reachable 24/7. On the other hand I appreciate it when I don’t have my dSLR with and I want to take a photo. Even though the color quality on the iPhones is really bad IMHO.
I think having grown up with cameras and pay phones and phones that were plugged into a wall in your house, I feel no need to be tethered to my cell phone.
I have 15-20 years on you and Dear Daughter is starting her PhD studies at the end of this month. And my day to day memory is bad. My college roommate has coined it CRS disease (can’t remember sh*t). But I still have vivid memories of Dear Daughter’s childhood and teen years. Down to what she wore. If you want to remember the moment you will. You can always write about it in detail in a journal or diary. And when you get home, even though you’re busy, recall the moment you want to remember and the details you found touching and it will stick. No need to remember the mundane.
Take ALL the pics. Not to let it consume your trip but you’ll want to see them someday and warm your heart. We do forget the details. 😊