Chances are, the camera (if you only take one) is one of the most important items to be packed for a trip. It will capture those amazing landscapes, the faces of the people you will encounter, maybe a beautiful sunset or two, and of course it will provide a definite record that you were there. Nowadays it can also be a key part of the blogger’s kit; a means by which a blog being updated from a faraway place can be brought to life.
But what if you travelled without a camera? How would it change the nature of a trip, and the memories that you drew from it? Would you regret it bitterly and miss out on having those photos to show to friends and family? Or would the trip take on a different character: one where you observe with your eyes rather than the lens, and absorb the sights, sounds and smells of a moment in time rather than merely recording it for future enjoyment?
I have often wondered this when we have been on our travels. The process of taking pictures can easily take up my full attention at a particular site, and I might leave that place having focussed (pardon the pun) on nothing more than getting the perfect shot. My first sighting of the aurora borealis was taken up with getting the tripod in the right place, getting the camera settings correct, and hoping that the single roll of film that I had would present me with something half decent from the sky-gazing. My wife, on the other hand, freed from this pre-occupation, was able to enjoy the unearthly splendour of this moment, and appreciate the changes of colour in the sky and the way the lights danced before our eyes.
I see others at major sites around the world clicking away, camera up to the eye before they have even stopped to take in the scene, and back on the bus as soon as the picture is taken. What are we missing by focussing on recording an experience for the future rather than appreciating it in the present?
We travelled a few times in Europe some years ago with no camera, and apart from recently when I could have done with a picture to include in a blog post, I can’t say our experience was lessened for not having a camera on that trip. I am convinced that the most memorable experiences are all about immersing ourselves in a place and a time, and soaking up every emotion and sensation there and then. Looking back to some of our greatest memories from our travels so far, I wouldn’t need to retrieve a picture to describe them – they are already so vivid in my mind.
That being said, I do see the value of recording images, and even sounds, from a trip. The kind person who helped us when we were lost, or the funny couple we met while sitting in a restaurant: their faces will dim in the memory with time, but a simple photo will act as an accurate reminder of that person and their brief cameo in our lives.
As with most things there is a balance to be struck, and I will still be taking my little camera on my next trip. But I will try to ensure that I experience the moment first in all its full glory, and snap a picture as a simple memory jog (and blog image) later.
Well yes, even a photo-fan like me recognizes that we must make time for everything and that there are moments for shooting and moments for just being. I must say though that taking photos makes you look at things from a different perspective. Once you are used to look for a good photo, even when you don’t have your camera with you, it makes you become more aware of the surroundings.
Thanks Paola, yes I agree that a photographer will normally see a place from a different perspective, and the skills of finding the right picture can be useful in also appreciating the richness of a scene in front of you, with or without a camera. I guess when I have a camera with me, sometimes I find myself forget to step back and enjoy the view, rather than capture it in the best way.
Wonderful post. Yes, I do agree that some of us focused way too much in capturing the perfect shot. What I do is this. I will leave my camera in my pocket, and I will stand at the new spot for a full minute thinking of words best to capture the moment. Doing that let me soak in the magic of the moment. Only after I come up with the perfect phrase will I whip out the camera. Having said that, I will not travel without my Ixus though
Nice post, thanks! I never used to travel with a camera before I married a photographer. I would always just tell my mom: “Google Granada, google Caracas, and you’ll see exactly what they look like. I don’t need to take photos!”
Sometimes I wish I had photos of my past trips, but I document things in my journals instead of on film. I have a vivid memory of standing on a hill overlooking the Venezuelan Gran Sabana with a handful of others. Two of my fellow volunteers were snapping photos, then showing them to each other on the back of their cameras, reviewing the world in miniature through their screens instead of being stunned by the grandeur of it in real life.
There’s definitely a place for documenting and a time to set the camera down and just *look.*
But of course, my mom is so much happier now that my husband is supplying her with a steady stream of photos from Peru. And I’m happier now that I don’t get hounded about not traveling with a camera.
Thank you for a thoughtful article.
I have worked as a freelance writer and a photographer all my life. I can almost claim to have launched the `illustrated article` – now so requested by many editors – in the early 1970s (so clearly I am older than many of you).
Yes, there are moments when a camera may detract from the `experience`. A supreme example is when I was alone with the Queen on the royal tour of Arabia. The other press people were lost and I was with her as a giant Nubian bearer poured her a cup of coffee outside the royal tent in Riyadh. Feeling my camera was too intrusive, I put it down and smiled at her instead, when she cracked a joke with me…No photo, but a cherished memory which I am writing about it in my new book.
This not withstanding, the only way to be successful at both (in my personal view) is to take your time. I don`t carry tripods and such, being more of a photojournanlist when you must be quick off the mark, keeping your head down in many developing countries, where any cumbersome equipment other than `just a camera/lens` may cause a missed shot.
But (barring war) if I ever come across something truly important, I will look and observe, and then take a photo, (although this was not the case in the extreme example, above).
http://christinebosborne.blogspot.com
TRAVELS WITH MY HAT
Thanks Jessie, and you did well to marry a photographer – you get the photos without having to carry all the gear
I agree with you about just taking time to look. Good advice.
Christine, I like your story about meeting the Queen and getting that private moment. Among a sea of cameras she must have been surprised to see a happy face without a lens.
Thanks both for sharing your stories.
Compelling article, but I don’t think I would ever leave my camera at home. Photography is one of the reasons I travel. However, I have been know to leave the camera in my room for the day, so that I can experience a place and its people without the lens.
I remember trying out the no-camera trip when I went for a recent trip to a beach town. It really is true that I did get to enjoy taking in the scene better, without worrying if I’ve taken enough photos that would look good in a coffee table photo book able I’m compiling.
And this I think is specially true for those moments when you only have a matter of minutes or seconds to experience it, but youre kept busy clicking away.
Then again when I got back home, I wished I’d taken a few photos =P
This is a question I have been struggling with of late. I’ve been wondering if having the camera plastered to my face is keeping me from really experiencing a place. I’ve come to the conclusion that I “see” thru the camera – better than most people see without one. On a side note, I’d love to know where you saw the Aurora Borealis. This is #1on my travel wish list, but I don’t know the best place to go.
What a wonderful article – you make some really valid points about taking the time to experience a place before studying it through the lens. At the same time, it’s just so alien to consider not taking a camera on trips! I think that the small pocket cameras are a great in-between option; I’m not a professional photographer so I try to just keep my small digital nearby to record the place – but I truly can’t imagine traveling without it!
I guess I think the same way Shannon. I like the convenience of an easy tiny camera that I can fit into my pocket, and am happy to sacrifice top quality for that comfort.
Barbara, the picture is from northern Norway (outside Tromso). It’s a great place to see it if the clouds stay away. I hear parts of northern Canada around Whitehorse offer the best combination of magnetic activity and clear skies. Either way, you need to travel in hope rather than expectation, and enjoy the stunning northern scenery while you’re there.
On a trip through India last year I was fortunate enough to have my camera pinched after just one week. I say fortunate because I soon realised that I had spent a week without actually seeing India. I was only interested in getting the perfect shot. I had been to Taj Mahal and not actually sat down just to enjoy the moment. I spent the next two weeks with a new outlook and sense of appreciation for each place that I visited.
So my new way forward is to create a balance between being an amatuer (lousy beginneer) photographer and being an intrepid traveller. Of course, you want a photo a selection of photos, but there is no point taking hundreds of photos.
Luke
@whltravel
I`ve had my camera stolen (all my things, really) when I was travelling in Australia and I know the process probably is different when it’s a conscious decision not to bring a camera with you but not having any visual memories of a trip is definitely, to me, a sad thing. I’m not saying I travel strictly for the pictures, obviously, but it feels like when I look back 5-10-15 years from now, pictures will bring back memories that’ll be a lot clearer than the ones I’ll have simply by remembering my trip.
Obviously if you know ahead of time that you won’t be taking any pictures, maybe then you pay closer attention to all the details but I think that in the end, I’d rather have memories & pictures over simply having memories.
Hi Dave and thanks for posting. I agree: if you suddenly lost the photos you had already taken that would be terrible. It’s happened to me in the bad old days of 35mm film, where the film has jammed while trying to rewind and I have ended up losing an entire roll of photos. Like you say, knowing beforehand you would observe details much more closely.
I share the same sentiments. There were plenty of instances wherein I wasn’t able to fully enjoy the moment because I was so busy looking through the viewfinder. Though I want to take a picture of everything, there are times when I just sit back and enjoy the view. While my camera is still something I cannot leave behind when I travel, there are days during the trip that I leave the camera in my room and wander around just so I can enjoy myself without the pressure to take a photo.
Thanks Nina. Like you say, there is a balance to strike between getting the pictures we want to remember the moment later, and stepping back and enjoying the experience there and then. Nice blog by the way!
I used to take a sketchbook with me, Andy. Not that I’m a great artist, but it does force you to really look at things. Still, not having a camera for six weeks travelling in Africa was a big mistake!
Thanks Richard. 6 weeks in Africa is a long time to be without a camera. Sketching a safari scene while the animals posed for you would be a very impressive feat!
Obviously, this opinion shows what a ‘word’ person I am, but I could go without a camera as long as I have a pen and paper (okay, notebook). Whilst a photograph, especially a great one, can help you go back visually, I prefer the way that words can help you to wrap yourself completely in that moment in time. This past year I took a trip with my family (hubby, 5yo & 3yo) to one of my fave beach holiday destinations, Noosa. My most memorable moment came when I had 10 mins to myself, sitting outside on the balcony with a glass of wine – I kept my eyes closed to concentrate on the sounds, smells, the feel of the wind and sun. I have a pic from that balcony, but it’s got nothing on my sense memory and the words I wrote to record it all.
Great article, as usual…thanks!
Thanks Anj, I’d love to read your description from the balcony. As you say, it’s a great way to capture not just a static image of a memory, but the sounds, the smells and the tastes of it too. If a picture is worth 1000 words, imagine how rich the picture would be from 1000 carefully chosen words?
another thought provoking article. I have traveled the world for 40 years. I am the son of a professional photographer, and a photographer myself. I can’t imagine not having a camera with me. I have re-visited some of the same places many times and no two photographs are the same.I see the world through a lens. However, I do keep a journal. I have several at this point in my life. I also draw in my journals.I certainly have many memories to accompany the trips, but……. the photographs line the walls of my house, the walls of galleries and every time we see them, my wife and I revisit those destinations and relive every trip again.
TJ, your photo collection sounds incredible; something well worth being proud of. As you say there are many ways to capture the magic of a place; through writing, drawing, painting and of course through photography. As many have said already, it’s about a balance, and about enjoying the place while there as well as capturing its essence, by whichever method, for our memory. Thanks for sharing your rich experience here.
……Yes, word quickly spread that I had forgotten my camera at the cottage this weekend. Before you know it a deer is wandering across our lawn, taunting me with it’s good looks. Soon after a porcupine comes out of the woods to mock me. Other sightings – red-wing blackbird, pair of goldfinches, hairy woodpecker, red-breasted nuthatch and our loon pair with TWO babies. You’ll just have to take my word for it. I have no photographic evidence.
(from my blog)
Well written. It’s sod’s law isn’t it? But you saw them, and remembered each one. And you’ve been able to share a lyrical description of seeing those birds with us too