Apparently not everyone is as photo-bonkers as me! I visited my parents the other day, and a family friend was there, having just returned from holiday. It transpired that he'd spent two weeks in Italy with no camera: "it's all up here" he clarified, pointing to his head. I'm ashamed to say that we, a camera obsessed family, laughed at him. The idea that anyone could leave the house at all, let alone for two weeks in a beautiful country like Italy is pretty foreign to the four of us. There were cameras on hand to document my entire childhood. Putting holiday photos in albums is an event, as is showing them to family, friends and strangers at the bus stop. The entire process, in fact, is celebrated. Don't get me wrong; we don't have darkrooms instead of loos; it's just that cameras are a part of our every day life. My mum's reminded me on several occasions that even when money was really tight she would rarely scrimp on photos. And that of course was in the days when digital cameras were non-existent, so each picture - however unsuccessful - was printed out by the kind folk at Jessops.
But maybe our friend has the right idea - maybe he will have nothing to cloud his memories of a wonderful holiday. A holiday he experienced sans interruption rather than partially through the lens. His whole trip is arguably more pure and open minded because his was a search only for experience, without the additional desire to capture it on film, and in a way that would do it justice for friends and family back home, and himself a few years down the line.
So, maybe we'd all be better off without a camera - so we experience everything for what it is: an experience (not a photo opportunity). Should we all throw our cameras out of the bedroom window?? I can't believe I'm even considering it.
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