In the moment or photographing the moment?

By Racheal Chapman

Who doesn't love a good photo? Over the years my husband has captured some truly amazing photographs. Many of our children, and one of which hangs on our bedroom wall, on a metre squared canvas.

Wherever you go you see people, usually with their smartphones, capturing every little moment.

But, does capturing EVERY little moment come at a cost?

Photos are such an important memory tool. They allow us to capture some of the best days of our lives, our happiest. They allow us to capture truly breathtaking scenery. They allow us to capture once in a lifetime shots, moments we'll never recreate, things we will never be able to see again. They allow us to share events with others who weren't there. They allow us to be able to reminisce days, weeks or even years down the line.

But, is there a fine line between capturing those moments, and not allowing yourself to be IN the moment?

Snap after snap after snap, it's easy to rack up hundreds of photos of a day beside the sea, a family christening, a safari in Africa! But how much of it did you see through a small screen? And how much of it did you miss whilst you were cropping, editing, adjusting the contrasts, adding filters, posting on social media?

So next time you are enjoying quality time with friends or family, or you're at a wedding, or attending a birthday bash or concert, by all means capture the moment. But DON'T do it at the expense of enjoying the moment, at the expense of being IN the moment.