Take Notice- The world trough a viewfinder.

How many times have you seen this: you're at a monument or other tourist destination and there are several families there, all of which have someone- not to promote stereotypes but this usually is the Dad wearing a yellow shirt and socks that are way too high- who is watching the whole thing through a camcorder viewfinder. In trying to capture forever those precious memories he has, with a device, excluded himself from them.

Or this: you're at a wedding and the bride is beginning to walk down the aisle. The couple have hired a professional photographer to capture - with some expert skill hopefully - this defining moment in their lives. Yet everyone in the botanical garden, even Aunt Gertrude who wouldn't know a horizon line if it bit her in the ass, and claims the soft focus was on purpose, is reaching over their heads to grab a snapshot.

The digital camera has become so simple and easy that we may be limiting our life experiences simply by trying to record them. Taking ourselves out of the moment so it is ours forever. It is really worth it? I have mostly always been a live in the moment kind of person, but I submit that things are getting out of hand.

Is it possible to conceive of a camera that doesn't cut the user out? What would a camera like that look like? Yes we all have camera timers, but those only work for posed shots. And what of making the photo process more collaborative? Photo sharing sites have started to make this easier, but the sheer quantity of photos everyone takes is just too many for the free sites to work on. Can we get to the point where people around the world start saying, "Let's just leave the camera at home, someone else there will be taking pictures."

Or am I wrong? Is all this amateur photography a good thing? What do you think?

--Take notice is a feature on IDoLOG regarding changes in trends relating to consumer products-