When your face is behind a phone or camera, you’re not seeing the vivid colors of life. While on vacation, it may seem like taking pictures of all the new and interesting things you see is the best way to remember it all. And while that might be true, you may also miss out on what’s happening outside of the boundaries of your camera lens. Here are a few more reasons why if you really want to enjoy your vacation, you should stop taking pictures.
When you share your pictures on Facebook and Instagram while you’re on vacation, you may be missing out on precious moments. It’s only natural to post pictures then keep checking hourly to see how many likes they’ve received. But why do we do it? Getting the approval of others is in our evolutionary makeup, but when we’re having fun on vacation, we don’t need 27 ‘likes’ to prove it.
#2. You miss out on the big picture.
While pictures let you capture stunning scenery and happy moments, keeping yourself behind the lens means you won’t truly be in the moment, and you’ll actually be missing out on what’s happening around you.
#3. Your memories can become tarnished.
If you experience an outstanding moment on your holiday, it’s based on all of your senses and not just what you saw. When you share a picture of a moment that was special, and don’t get the response you were expecting, that memory is tarnished forever. Someone else’s perception has forever changed that moment for you. Some of the best moments in life were created just for you to appreciate.
#4. You might offend someone.
Behind the lens, you may not realize that taking pictures of certain things is actually kind of offensive. If you’re in a foreign country, you may not be able to communicate your reasons for taking a picture of someone or something. Have you ever had a stranger take a picture of you without explaining why? It’s a bit weird.
#5. You’ll always be worrying about your camera.
A good professional camera can make a poor man rich. If you bring your massive professional camera on vacation, there is a risk it can be stolen. It could also be rained on, sat on, misplaced or damaged in some other way. To ensure your camera’s safe keeping, you’ll have to lug it everywhere. It’s not exactly a fashion statement if you go out on the town.
#6. You don’t properly relax.
Dedicating yourself to taking photos on holiday keeps your mind busy. ‘This would make a great FB photo’ and ‘this is bound to get a lot of Insta likes’ are just some thoughts that may relate to. Constantly taking photos mean you can never properly relax and really take it all in. Read a book in a hammock instead (without taking a picture of yourself).
#7. You might not remember moments.
Researchers say people rely on their cameras as a kind of personal external memory device. When you take too many pictures, the part of the brain that remembers your important events starts to diminish as it relies more and more on your ‘external memory device’.