As an avid travel photographer who loves to capture the beauty of the world around us, I do have to remind myself from time to time that it’s not always just about snapping and chronicling.

We travel to local and distant places for many reasons: relaxation, adventure, new experiences and insights, inspiration, education and making connections.  Yet, we often don’t take the time to truly appreciate the moment, the activity or the people.

In today’s globe-trotting, fast-paced, and instant-gratification-seeking society, the focus tends to be more on getting that perfect shot rather than truly experiencing what we are seeing or with whom we are interacting.  As a result of the ever growing impress-everyone-with-the-places-I’ve-been-and-seen-in-real-time trend, we increasingly forget how to simply be in the present.

As I reflect upon my own evolution as a photographer over the years, the transition from film to digital has admittedly altered my own approach.  It’s just so darn easy to take oodles of photos (and I do) knowing that they can be erased in an instant upon immediate viewing.  So instead of being more discerning and contemplative in choosing the subject matter, the shutter goes click, click, click.  Before you know it, the memory card rapidly fills with similar images taken from different angles and perspectives (making the task of later sifting through, choosing and eliminating photos a daunting one).  There’s something to be said about those rolls of 24 or 36 frames that made you pause before pressing the button, and then having to wait days or even weeks while they were getting developed at the lab before seeing the final product.

Upon reflection, for me, a large part of the travel experience was the anticipation and excitement of seeing the prints in all their colour and splendour (the great, good and even the bad shots).  While going through the photos, I retrieved and relived those special memories that, up until that moment, were stored and preserved in my mind’s eye, and in my heart.

Will I stop taking and sharing photos? – No, that won’t happen, but I will also remember to savour and appreciate every moment, just for me and my own personal enjoyment.