It is all the rage lately to whip out our phones and tablets to photograph any amazing or even mediocre outdoor scene we are visiting.  This new habit has gotten so far out-of-hand.  Sadly, we’re to the point where we’re no longer taking time to enjoy the scene or the view which we came all this way for.

We become obsessed with making sure that the picture is perfect before we slap some Instagram filter on it and send it out to the world of social media.  However, we take no thought of the simple joys of what we came to see and what it took us to get there.

For example, take these photographers above.  They are waiting for the light to be just right to shoot a picture of a landscape photograph.  So, the photographers are bored and talking to each other.  They’re pacing in impatient anticipation.  However, they are not taking in the scene already in front of them.  They want a shot of the eclipse moon rising over the Teton range.  Spoiler: it’s didn’t work out as planned that night.

What they are failing to do is notice the beautiful sunset behind them.  As soon as the light changes to what they want, they will immediately snap to work shooting the scene.  Then they will pack up and leave once the light fails them.  Just to give you an idea of what they are missing out on, check out the photo below.  This is the sunset which was to their backs.  You can see it in the background in the photo above.

Even when I was scrambling to get the shot I wanted with the sunset and the clouds, I still took time to look and enjoy the beauty in front of me.  I chose to pass much of my waiting time admiring the scene.  There was no smart phone out for this enjoyment, no filters, no hashtags.  I wasn’t concerned about how many likes I could get or how quickly I could get them.  This was pure, unadulterated admiration of the scene in front of me.

If you want taking pictures, then you will miss stuff.  Just because the camera is sharper than the sharpest memory doesn’t mean that it’s always the best tool for the job.  I have not yet run into the camera which compares to the human eye for visual acuity, color depth perception, and proper rendering of light.  Nothing your camera captures will ever compare to what your eye will see.

As you go see places and have fun this summer, please take some time and just take some joy in what you have come to see WITHOUT your phone in the way.  It’s this action which the photos will remind you of, not the other way around.  Have a story about something like this?  Share it in the comments.