Everyone's a photographer these days; All we need is a phone (formerly used for making phone calls) and something to point it at which, typically, is ourselves in the form of the narcissistic selfie taken in the public toilet block of a club or of the food we eat, which grows colder by the second as we frame that perfect food-shot. Ah, social media, you have a lot to answer for.
I'm not much of a photographer I guess. I have a camera/phone device of course and I also have a camera and I tend to rely on the settings to bring some sort of quality to my shots. I try and frame the shot to bring out its best but I've had no real training in photography. I do however enjoy having a go at it and if by some fluke of the universe I manage to get a good one (good by my own standards) then I'm happy, satisfied and content.
Happy, satisfied and content are not words I hear a lot these days; Sure, I hear them individually, well, happy I do, not so much the others, and rarely in conjunction with each other which makes me wonder how many people really are content, satisfied and happy. Society is plagued by consumerism, greed, manipulation, is self-absorbed and narcissistic in general and I feel has lost its way somewhat. Rather than finding contentedness in life people seem to seek more and more; Probably in the belief that more will bring contentment and satisfaction. (It won't)
Upgrading your phone won't make you more desirable to the opposite sex, give you social standing or any sense of satisfaction. Well, you may get a momentary sense of satisfaction from having the latest phone but that will fade in a short time and in a few months when the new model is released you'll feel discontent, dissatisfaction and unhappiness that you do not have it...And so you will focus on it and seek it out. Must have! Want! You know the feeling right?
I don't know what the answer is to be honest and in truth I doubt there even is an answer. Get back to basics? Find enjoyment in simple things? Turn off the television, stop reading the newspapers? Delete social media? Who knows. Oh, by the way I have done all of those things and in case you're wondering...Yes, I feel more content, satisfied and happy. No doubt about it. However not everyone will. I guess it's a state of mind, of being.
There's no real point to this post; It's just random thoughts I had whilst going through some photos this morning. I found myself wishing I was a better photographer and then caught myself. You see, I am happy with my photos, content and satisfied. That's because they are mine and that the moments captured within them were mine also, shared with my wife, family and friends. I lived those moments and thought enough of them to capture them on camera and so how could I not be content?
The image in this post was taken just over a week ago whilst on holiday in Finland; Taken at about 11pm at night. My wife and I were out for a walk around the lake and were alternating between chatting about nothing in particular, walking in silence and holding hands as we meandered around. The air was fresh and cool, it was quiet and peaceful; The moment was memorable. I snapped this shot which to me captures the essence of that moment. Is is good? Hell, I have no idea, but to me it is an important thing that will trigger the way I felt, right at that moment, every time I look at it. For me that's enough.
