Live Life or Capture It?

Something that has been on my mind for some time is a debate I would say most people have with themselves regularly. Should we enjoy the moment or is it 'ok' to capture it? Do I watch this event through the screen of my phone or camera so that I can relive it or do I just enjoy the moment and hope my memory holds up? It feels like a question that needs to be answered.

 

I spend my days mostly in the company of children, so there are plenty of moments I wish would last forever but they don't. When I don't catch the moment on camera, I often later wish I had. So I doubt myself. But then there are the moments that only happen once, that I never managed to capture but they've stayed with me anyway. So what's the difference? It makes me wonder, does my memory know to work harder when I haven't captured it? And know when I'm aloud to forget it?

Many new mums have the moment when they profusely thank their Mother (or apologise for all the years of pain!). I am not a Mother, but as a Nanny to 4 children, I have these moments day in and day out!  I grew up in a house where our mum had the video camera at the ready and her commentary perfected. For this I am so grateful, I can still hear my grandparents voices and remember all the amazing memories that my parents created for us ! The more I write the more I realise how much I have to say is influenced by her!  She is the queen of happy mediums, the "it all works out in the wash" statement preacher ! So, as always, taking on my mothers wise words, I have created a way to decide whether I should "live life, or capture it".

The Happy Medium - What is more important?

1 - Is this something I really need to be present for? This is simple really, is the person on the other end of the capturing going to be upset, if I watch through my camera? Or further more, are you? No one ever wants to only remember something through the lens of a camera rather than in real life! Imagine showing off your photos from the Grand Canyon when getting home and not actually remember seeing it yourself.

2 - Is this a  'never again event'? Sometimes these 'events' need to just be taken in, so this can be a tricky one. Ask yourself; is this the only chance I have to get this on video?  Will I regret not having a copy?

3 - Be realistic, ask yourself;  is this something you would never re-watch but would value more through your own eyes? Regardless of it being a one off or a regular occurrence.

Notes if you have time to consider it;
-Will it bring me joy? If I take this image/video will I enjoy looking back at it.
- Do a bit of both! Take some unnecessary images, who cares!
- Recognise what can't be captured. Sometimes there is just no point, an image just doesn't do it justice.
- Everything in moderation. I have over 100 photos of my grandparents standing beside the signs that say "Welcome to ....." from every holiday they went on. Don't do this! Your family won't know what to do with them and they are irrelevant down the track.

I recently went to New Zealand. It was the most spectacular place. I took plenty of photos, but this was the first time I really put into place my new found way to answer this debate! The reality is sometimes you just can't capture a moment or do it justice.

I acknowledge that some of these moments happen so quickly you don't have the time to go through 'pros' and 'cons'. Don't think too hard about it or try to take the perfect image, otherwise you may be creating a moment that isn't authentic, just capture it and move on! In the end just remember that it doesn't matter if you can't capture it, you were there, you were present in that moment anyway. I still take plenty of images and videos and have to cull regularly, but I am learning and slowly making this a new habit. So that I can both live life AND capture it!

Happy snapping!

Ps - All the images in this post are authentic, they are all moments that I knew I wanted to capture! Moments that meant something and that I would look back on with joy. Look at my little nanny baby giving me a hug! I am inundated with hugs daily but just this once I wanted to capture it! I never want to forget my feelings in that moment, and that's a photo I will never regret taking!

Love C x