For our second wedding anniversary we decided to take a trip to Hot Springs Arkansas!
When I was in college I asked two of my professors if they took their cameras with them on vacation. The first said absolutely not, that photography was his job and he needed to unplug from that and just enjoy being away from it all. He grew almost tired of taking pictures all the time, and vacation was his excuse to put the camera away and relax. My other professor said, "Um, of course I take my camera with me!" and even gave himself challenges for his vacation photography-- maybe he would focus on a certain color scheme the whole time, or certain details of the country he was visiting. It was his time to be creative and just take pictures for himself, to enjoy the art of photography for what it was-- his passion.
I feel like I am a mixture of both of my old professors when I go on vacation. Part of me wants to capture every detail, every meal we eat and every beautiful piece of architecture we come across. I want to record it all so we can put it in a book and look back on all our trips someday. I want to be able to remember the smells, the sounds of the water rushing by, or the stillness of walking the streets in the morning, while the crowds are still in bed and the shops are just now starting to open. I'm not a great story teller with my words, but I can show pictures of the delicious cupcakes we ate and the amazing views we came across, and they can relay our traveling adventures for me.
The other side of me, the one who knows my workaholic tendencies, realizes the importance of being present and not spending the whole vacation with a camera in front of my face. I know my husband likes this side better, because I'm not so distracted and preoccupied. :) Though photography is my passion, I understand the need for a Sabbath, for a rest and a little time away from work.
So my vacation photos from this trip are incomplete, in a good way. I didn't take pictures at all at the horse races, or at the spa, and I didn't even get a picture of the most amazing meal we ate in Hot Springs. And who knows if I'll remember those things for the rest of my life, but I do know I was present when they happened, and had a wonderful time just being there. That is my vacation photography tip for you all-- take enough pictures that your creative, sentimental self is satisfied, and then put the camera away to just enjoy your vacation. And maybe that goes for everyday life, too. Be present, be sentimental, take pictures and record your adventures, but find the perfect balance of it all for you. Mix them all in at varying amounts-- it may not be perfect at first but I think we'll all get the hang of it eventually. :)
