On Not Carrying a Camera – Cultivating memories instead of snapshots

Memories, Recall, and Regret

• Many say photos are vital memory anchors, especially as they age and realize how fast details vanish; several regret “living in the moment” in youth and now having almost no record of people or trips.
• Others report that photos are less helpful; they remember key events strongly without images, or feel that focusing on memory in the moment is more valuable than later recall.
• Several note that photos don’t just preserve events but trigger forgotten context and emotions—even mundane things like old shop fronts, computers, receipts, or cereal boxes.

Being Present vs Behind the Lens

• Strong tension between two experiences:
  • Camera as intrusion: turning life into a two‑step process (feel → document), missing emotional presence, especially at births, concerts, or travel.
  • Camera as deepener: forcing you to really look, notice light, composition, and subtle changes; can feel like meditation or “seeing things as they are.”
• Many argue for moderation: a few quick shots or one group photo vs nonstop filming; biggest distraction is often not shooting but instant posting and chasing likes.

Different Brains, Different Needs

• Multiple commenters with aphantasia or cognitive damage say photos and short videos are essential to maintain a coherent life story and relationships; without them, large parts of their past would effectively not exist.
• Others with aphantasia say they rely more on “felt” memories and don’t strongly need images, highlighting wide variation.

What to Photograph: People, Places, and Everyday Life

• Repeated theme: photos of people (family, friends, especially children and aging parents) end up far more precious than “perfect” landscapes or monuments.
• Some now deliberately avoid generic sights and focus on companions, or on changing things (streets, tech, cars) rather than timeless scenery.
• Several warn that being “too cool” to take “tourist photos” can leave you with almost nothing of those you loved.

Technology, Gear, and Automation

• Long arc from film (few, deliberate shots) to digital abundance: smartphones made casual, constant photography trivial and cheap.
• Photographers discuss gear tradeoffs: heavy kits vs one compact camera vs just a phone; some move to film or fixed‑lens cameras to enforce intentionality.
• Others explore “passive” or wearable capture (Narrative Clip, Google Clips, Ray‑Ban Meta, 360 cams, Vision Pro) to record while staying in the moment, raising privacy and legal concerns.
• Managing huge libraries and searching them is now a major pain point; people anticipate AI‑driven semantic search and auto‑editing.

Social Dynamics and Ethics

• Friction between “live in the moment” observers and intensive shooters: complaints about phones and iPads blocking views at concerts, museums, and tourist sites.
• Some clubs and venues now ban photography altogether to restore presence and protect patrons.
• A few note gendered patterns (women taking far more photos) and how modern dating and social life hinge on images.
• Several argue you can’t know why someone is recording—memory issues, illness, personal projects—so default to tolerance.

Alternatives and Complements to Photos

• Journaling, sketching, and audio capture are proposed as ways to “cultivate memories” with different qualities than photos; some combine journals, GPS tracks, and images into rich timelines.
• Many find daily journaling too time‑consuming, whereas quick photos/videos feel sustainable.

Reactions to the Article’s Thesis

• Some see the essay as a healthy personal correction for a professional who let photography override life—more about work‑life balance than a general prescription.
• Others find it pretentious or all‑or‑nothing: throwing away cameras instead of learning better habits, and dismissing the value of imperfect, “generic” photos that later become priceless.
• Broad consensus in the thread: cameras can either distance or deepen experience; the outcome depends on intent, restraint, and individual cognition, not on the mere presence of a device.