Moment or memory?

'Click' 'Click' 'Click'

Spot 1, spot 2, spot 3.

Pose 1, pose 2, pose 3. Front, side, back, silhouette.

Move on. I am done.

All of October, I indulged in my favorite activity—traveling, playing tourist, gawking at people and places, and oohing and aahing over natural wonders and man-made marvels.

I doubt if there is any 'undiscovered' spot in the world today—someone has discovered it, put out amazing-looking photographs of it, and written raving reviews of it, leading hordes of people (including yours truly) to flock there to 'discover' for themselves.

But I am confused, and the dreamer in me is disappointed with what most people do next.

It seems that tourists, regardless of nationality or age, tend to follow an unspoken set of practices or a "Standard Operating Procedure" when they travel – as reflected above.

So what is wrong Usha? I saw your Instagram. Didn't you do much of the same?

Well...

Yes and no.

The phone camera has changed the way we experience wondrous and joyous life moments. We all feel compelled to capture the moment for posterity. We get caught up in framing the perfect shot, capturing it, and saving it for later. There’s nothing wrong with that—I take a few photos myself and share them on social media, just like everyone else. I try to recapture the wonder and joy of the moment when I see the photograph later.

But what bothers me is that our 'experience' seems to now start and end with the taking of the photographs.

I noticed that very few people stop to stare, to take in the beauty, to soak in the scene, the sounds, the smells around them.

They came, clicked photographs, and moved on to the next spot. I wonder if a picture can ever truly capture the feeling of being there, fully immersed in the moment and the surroundings.

The memory etched in my mind’s eye seems so much more powerful than any tiny digital image.

In the busy act of clicking and moving on, do we give time to capture memories in our heads? Do we allow ourselves the opportunity to experience the magic, to feel the awe, to delight our senses in real time? To etch the vastness and the beauty that no camera can do justice to? Why do we allow the need to click a photo intrude on our joy of the moment while watching a live show?

That blow-hole, that gorgeous rainbow, the vast vista of the valley and the craggy clifftops, the waddling penguins emerging from the waves in the twilight, that powerful jump of a kangaroo, the sun glinting off the roof of the opera house, the beautiful starry night with the humongous moon, the rain-drop hanging on the leaf - they all make great photographs, and our hands itch to capture them on our phone camera. But really guys, I know I am not the world's best photographer and my camera is definitely not up to the task.

When stunning photos of the same scene are already out there for me to see later, I'd rather just live in the moment. Take it in, savor it, and keep it in my memory—not in my iCloud.

Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting a 'strictly no photos' policy. I am talking about clicking fewer pictures and enjoying the 'now'. Maybe not clicking pictures on some occasions.

Do you think I am behaving like a typical Boomer?

But the customer-experience designer in me sees an opportunity, one that many smart businesses have already capitalised on.

Build 'photo-worthy' moments into your customer experience journeys, offer incentives to customers for uploading them and tagging your business.

But.. sigh...

I would rather enjoy building immersive real-time experiences. However, give the customer what she wants, apart from what you believe is good and right. That may be a better mantra.

#instagram #mobilephotograph #livingthemoment #experiencedesign #present