Focus

Everything has beauty, but not everybody sees it. - Confucius

The last sliver of the sun slowly starts to descend in the horizon. Fine wisps of clouds blanket the sky amidst the wide array of colours. Waves gently break on the surf and spread thinly across the sand. Leaning palm trees scatter the foreground. The culmination of all these elements warrants a photograph. Ideas rush through my mind as I reach for my camera. What touch ups in Lightroom does this need? Should I use an Instagram filter? What description should I write up to describe this image best? Which hashtags should I use? I take my time to frame the shot ensuring that all the important details are captured. Just as I’m about to press down on the shutter, I pause. Am I truly present right now? I slowly start to lower the camera, turn it back off and just stare silently out into the ocean. Did I just miss an opportunity to take an epic picture? My love for photography has inspired me to find new and interesting material to capture. The pursuit of perfecting this craft can sometimes come with a price, especially when paired with a social media platform. The art can transform from being a personal endeavour to a production that appeals to the masses. Digital media has the power to take away the essence of the “why” in taking a picture. Additionally, my focus would all too often be on the camera preview screen rather than the beauty that is all around me. True immersion in the moment will capture nuances that a photograph never could. Experiences should be less about the camera focus ring and more about inner focus. Less about the social media recognition and more about recognising gratitude. Less about how to capture the moment and more about being in the moment. Focus on taking back the moment.

Digital Souvenirs

Digital Souvenirs

We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun. - A.A MilneWinnie the Pooh

My trip through Southeast Asia has been one of my most memorable trips ever. But it wasn’t the sights of ancient temples or the sounds of a bustling weekend market that truly made it memorable. It was the people that I met along the way and their unique personalities that I had the privilege in getting to know. My conversations with them were more than just the basic interrogation of where they were from and why they were travelling. It was truly a connection between two souls through the interaction of sharing our unique stories with one another. Eventually, the time to part ways would arrive, so what could I keep as a memento to remember them by? Carrying space comes at a premium for a backpacker, so I needed to be mindful of what I chose to bring with me. Luckily, the advent of social media has allowed me to keep a souvenir that backpackers just 10 years ago weren’t able to do. Friend requests. Like digital trading cards, I would often look at how many I’ve accumulated throughout the journey thus far. The idea of social media is to bring people together is it not? It was a way to forever keep them in my heart and mind, at least in a digital representation of the memories that we once shared together. How is this any different than back at home? It is not uncommon for me to ask someone at a social function if I can get their Facebook or Instagram contacts. An automatic reflex that has been ingrained in me now through years of repetition I guess. Yet this seemed different somehow and after some reflection I realized something. It was if I was subconsciously asking them if I could continue travelling with them even if it was in spirit. A personal connection partially transposed into a digital one. Although I’m back at home now, I look at the pictures and stories of the people I’ve met that are still on their journey and feel like I’m right there on the road with them.