Interesting view on photography

TriggerHappy

TriggerHappy

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I'm not sure if any of you have seen the film 2 Days In Paris. It was on later last night and I watched it full of intrigue. The plot synopsis from wikipedia - Marion is a French-born photographer living in New York City with her neurotic, hypochondriacal, chain-smoking, heavily tattooed American interior designer boyfriend Jack. After a markedly unromantic trip to Venice, which was planned to re-ignite the passion in their relationship, they take a night train to Paris to pick up Marion's cat from her parents and decide to stay for two days. Jack is startled to learn Marion has remained in contact with numerous ex-lovers and becomes increasingly uncomfortable due to the language barrier and a multitude of his girlfriend's old flames he keeps meeting. Meanwhile, Marion wrestles with her own insecurities about love, relationships, and her impulsive nature.

Anyway, back on track with the topic. Part way through the film the couple are taking a Gondola ride through Venice and Jack is so wrapped up in photographing the occasion that he misses the opportunity to live it to the fullest. Marion's thoughts on this were along the lines of those who constantly photograph life become an observer of life and can miss out on living life. Got me thinking whether people's efforts to record every event in their life can actually get in the way of them enjoying the experiences. Interesting topic for discussion? Maybe not :lol:!

Great film by the way. Something refreshingly different about it.
 
Mmmm, I don't know. TBH I think photographing things, you have to get the balance right...or you do become an observer of life. There's no point turning up at the pearly gates with a study of other peoples life and never having lived your own...my thoughts are that you should arrive there and thinnk "boy, what a ride" (we've all had the chain mail I'm sure).

Photograph stuff, enjoy it....but don't let it become your life.
 
Have put it on my lovefilm list, will watch it eventually. I do agree though.

I rarely take my camera out with me most of the time.

True, leaving your camera you may miss that perfect shot, but taking your camera you may miss that perfect moment.
 
It's a bit of a 50/50 to me, we take our cameras out when walking/visitng reserves/ a new city/whatever and I do feel that taking the photo does what everyone says a photographer should do.....it makes me LOOK for the beauty, the 'ideal' composition or whatever. We don't just 'snap away' every second (although I am guilty of taking more photographs and spending less time on each than I should) so it works OK as far as we are concerned - and there are plenty of times when we just take in where we are and what we are doing. I don't think we're in too much danger and I certainly enjoy documenting my (somewhat uninteresting) exploits!

Having said that, I do agree that the desire to document everything (and very quickly, almost without actually thinking about it) most probably diminishes the immediate experience which is a shame.
 
BUT (and this is the other side of the coin)...

there are so so many things that I am lucky enough to have done, seen, and experienced because I was there as a photographer, because I had a camera in my hand. Things that normal people who aren't 'part of it' just don't experience.
I've been on stage, shot from cherry pickers overlooking crowds of thousands of people, met and worked with celebrities, seen performances and concerts that I wouldn't have, shot in cool and interesting places and met interesting people... and none of this would have happened if I hadn't had a camera in my hand.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
BUT (and this is the other side of the coin)...

there are so so many things that I am lucky enough to have done, seen, and experienced because I was there as a photographer, because I had a camera in my hand. Things that normal people who aren't 'part of it' just don't experience.
I've been on stage, shot from cherry pickers overlooking crowds of thousands of people, met and worked with celebrities, seen performances and concerts that I wouldn't have, shot in cool and interesting places and met interesting people... and none of this would have happened if I hadn't had a camera in my hand.
Click to expand...

In which case, for you at least, a camera is used to create experiences as opposed to being used to record experiences. Interesting to see how the role of photography is different for different people.
 
TriggerHappy said:
In which case, for you at least, a camera is used to create experiences as opposed to being used to record experiences. Interesting to see how the role of photography is different for different people.
Click to expand...

well, not entirely... the need for photos of an event is creating the experience (and living) for me, however I am capturing the experience for others, but being fortunate enough to share in that experience with them, and in some ways contribute.

However, there's also times that I will create the overall experience for myself, my team and models, purely to create an artificial moment in time, rather than 'capturing' anything...

my head hurts :P
 
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