When snap crazy goes mad
BY DANNY GOCS. It really hit home on a recent African safari. Among the tourists on the daily game park drives was a South American couple dressed from head to foot in designer khaki.
But it wasn’t the fact that they were dressed to kill, but their determination to capture every moment on film that set them apart.
As soon as they finished snapping away on expensive cameras with long lenses, they started up again with their iPhones and iPads.
Spot an elephant – snap. There’s a zebra – snap. It didn’t matter if we came across one of the Big Five or a small lizard, it was a signal to reach for a camera and go click, click, click. Then a quick check on the camera screen before giving the guide the OK to drive on.
The immaculately-dressed safari couple were experiencing the trip of a lifetime, but spent all their time photographing everything that moved instead of taking time out to sit back and marvel at all the wonders of nature.
In the rush to photograph everything, they were missing out on the experience. Almost everything they saw was through a lens or screen with their faces glued to the camera.
By the end of each day they must have had thousands of photos and hours of video. By the time they got home after their safari trip they would have needed a week to watch it all.
Sure, we all want photos to relive our special memories, especially when spending time in a photographer’s paradise such as an African game park, but put the cameras down for a while and just enjoy the spectacle.
Fortunately there was no internet in the wilds of the game park, otherwise our khaki-clad friends may have spent the time between taking photos busily updating their Facebook page with their latest snapshots.
On another trip, I joined the crowds outside Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the guards, one of London’s top tourist attractions. Standing near me was a man who had a small camera attached to an extension pole that he held up high, while monitoring the video picture on his mobile phone. He spent the whole
ceremony looking down at his phone monitoring what he was filming!
Sure he had a complete video to show his friends back home, but what about enjoying the spectacle live rather than focus on recording the entire event!
Digital photography makes it easy to record your holiday memories – just strike a balance. There’s no need to go photo crazy.
PHOTO: Photographing everything that moves on an African safari.
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