Whether I’m talking to a seasoned pro, or a friend with a point-and-shoot camera, there’s one piece of photography advice that I always give before they go on a trip, to a big event, or are about to embark on a photographically-rich experience:
Take more photos than you think you need.
It’s astounding how quickly we habituate to the amazing things around us. After just a few days in a new city things start to feel familiar, and we stop seeing everything as brand new and worthy of a photo. Near the end of the night at a wedding the cameras are tucked away, no longer capturing all the fantastic moments that continue to happen. And after a couple years into life, all those hilarious and precious things your children are doing no longer have you running to grab the camera quite so often.
So I always leave people with that reminder. And I always give it to myself.
But wouldn’t you know it, even though I understand this, and remind myself about it, I still get back from every trip, and wish I had taken more photos.
I know I won’t ever be able to capture every single moment and detail that I want to remember. But maybe, just maybe, that reminder to myself gets me a little bit closer.
We’re hopping on a plane in two days for another great adventure. And you can bet I’ll be trying to take more photos than I think I need to. This time I’m planning to keep my camera around my neck, hard core tourist-style, and see if that helps. I’ll let you know how it goes!
