Picture Pressure
Why you have so many pictures?
My son asked me from the backseat while on the school run. I had given him my phone to show some pictures. I had no answer except the obvious - I like to take pictures.
It got me thinking - But do I?
I was a teenager when MySpace, Orkut and the likes of those were becoming the cultural zeitgeist. It wasn't long after when Facebook emerged as the star of the digital world. As a teenager, who felt the need to keep up with all the trends, I was fully invested. It started with sharing thoughtful texts, life updates, and sometimes photography, as the cameras improved.
I believe it was around that time when I developed an interest in photography. Later, when I started blogging on Steem, pictures seemed more important, especially for lifestyle content. I switched to educational content for a change and enjoyed the liberation that I got from photography because it kind of felt like an added pressure with blog writing. I liked being behind the camera but not in that way.
Nevertheless, later on, I started a blog on Instagram - a visual platform. I thought I would be fine with written content but I couldn't be more wrong. Once again, I dived into photography. For months, I enjoyed the process. I used to think of a concept, create a setup around it, and then photograph it and always posted it with some text. However, I had to eventually leave that blog because I was unable to continue photography due to some medical reasons. Yeah, I used to lie down and bend at all awkward angles to take a perfect picture from different perspectives. I'm forever grateful for that experience, though, it taught me a lot, and I felt a little more qualified than an amateur.
However, it inculcated in me a constant need and pressure to take pictures (more than ever) - whenever I saw something unique, beautiful, or picture-worthy for that matter.
I see other millennials following this culture, and I don't even need to mention what Gen Z and Gen Alpha are upto. The constant need to visually broadcast life online is lethal for mental health and causes FOMO. Luckily, I didn't went far with this - just a normal amount would make me want to bite my head.
For this generation, a celebration or a party doesn't feel complete without pictures; something is missing in a trip if you don't capture all the scenes. I'm not against photography; one needs to preserve memories, too. Though I hardly ever check old photos. My husband often reminds me to forget the camera for once and live in the moment, especially when I get carried away and obsess over perfect clicks.
When I took a break from Steem, it was as if an invisible pressure of taking nice pictures lifted away. Since my content mostly revolved around lifestyle, I always took time for pictures that mostly used to end up in my blogs. But when I stopped blogging, I slowly left the habit of taking pictures.
It was a new kind of freedom. I started living in the moments, doing things only because I wanted to, not to turn them into content. I almost stopped taking pictures.
I resumed blogging this year and it's funny that I find it really hard to take pictures now. Forgettig is a better explanation though. My son says I have a lot of pictures but I have uploaded most of the limited stock on Steem. 😆
I love taking photos. I'm usually tempted when I want to share something. With absent people, with a later self. Sometimes the result is pictures that not only show something, but have an artistic, at least creative touch. That makes me happy... But it's not an end in itself! It really does lie in the moment, in real life and in fully concentrating on exactly what makes it, the moment, valuable...
I second every word.
I don't usually go through my photo archives but I do see the pictures I created for my blog often. It was my best creative work in photography.
But I can't deny the pressure I feel sometimes when I'm fully invested in writing an experience but I didn't take pictures because I was "experiencing" it.
I remember that before joining Steemit, I never felt the need to take pictures. Especially when I started participating in TheDiaryGame, I developed a hobby of taking pictures, and then it became an addiction. And now, my phone is filled with numerous pictures on a daily basis.
While taking pictures to capture good memories is fine, but making it a habit to take pictures every moment seems a bit weird to me. Sometimes I even feel embarrassed when I'm standing among four people and using my camera.
Wishing you a great day ahead.
I think Steem did the same to most of us who weren't interested in photography before.
I think I can never get rid of the awkwardness I feel while taking pictures in public.
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My son has already made the same remark, haha. I'm trying to take a step back but I admit it's hard not to flood my posts with pictures, I can never stop myself, which people sometimes complain about. 🌸
that, indeed, gives some feed for thinking.
as for me - I take pics not exactly for presentation in the blog
(except some captures taken exactly for a certain challenge prompt), but for the pleasure of creating visual art, it is a pleasurable process for me. if I could draw perhaps I might go that way, but instead I developed this habit.
and, I look through my old photos on a regular basis, sometimes even randomly. I seriously consider a mindless taking pics without getting back to them later, to be a weak habit.... somewhat similar to mindless consumption and shopping: more! more! more! - without looking back at what you already possess.
Your son's question was really deep, and I think you should try to give him a more serious answer, he deserves it.