Capture or Live the Moment?

Every time we set out to take a photograph, I believe we always become caught up in the following dilemma: do I capture or experience the moment? Those who love photography or practice it professionally must already have analyzed this matter, because every time the opportunity for a good shot presents itself, one must decide whether you want to keep it or want to live it. Possessing a camera is merely having the chance to relive a moment at will and to be able to share it with others, but it does not replace experiencing it with all our senses. Sometimes our direct contact with reality can produce a set of sensations far more valuable than those we can obtain from a cold photograph, which makes this dilemma crucial at the moment of taking a shot with our camera. I like to capture moments, landscapes, people, but I often find myself frustrated in the attempt to carry the moment away in an image, because I almost always fail; that is to say, however magnificent a photo may be, reality always far surpasses it. So far this century, the technology industries have wagered on the mass diffusion of photography; a wide range of devices comes with a built-in camera, and obtaining photographic equipment of acceptable quality is increasingly within anyone's reach. However, despite this popularization, I consider that photography has not increased in value; rather, it has been trivialized, and it seems that little by little it is losing its magic. There are those who say that photography is increasingly carried out as a mechanism for self-affirmation or self-acceptance, an act that often conceals the exercise of the ego; in this way, valuable results tend to be few. There are moments you decide to capture in photos, but there are others that you will simply regret not having lived to the fullest. For that reason, when you are once again behind a camera, try to answer the following question: will you capture or live the moment? © Alejandro Guipe | All Rights Reserved.