So i go for a jog through Lynn Canyon on most days. Without fail, there is always somebody on the bridge or walking through the forest not even looking at their surroundings, but at the small screen on their video camera. I think I may have touched on this before, but I still don't get it.
Or maybe I do. The technology seems to be an instrument used by the individual to increase their memory, and their desire to share their experiences with others. But what will they really be remembering, and what are they really sharing? There must be about 109839021378219798.012 (calculated to the exact decimal place by totalrandomguess.com) videos of someboady walking over the suspension bridge that are all basically the same: shaky footsteps... nervous laughter, a cool waterfal, and me jogging by in the background. None of these films capture the true experience and the emotions generated by being in one of the most beautiful places in the universe.
Instead of flying halfway around the world, save your money, save your time, and just look on youtube; because with that camera glued infront of your face, your missing the real experience.
All your really contributing to is helping "the man" profile and track down all canyon joggers so that once the canyon jogger holocaust comesdown, I'll be the first to go... thanks alot!
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Tres Bon! I love Lynn Canyon suspension bridge! It's so much better than Capilano Suspension Bridge, which costs money to...walk over a bridge. But anyhoo, I agree, many people have a camera in front of their face and watch the footage later rather than experiencing their surroundings as they are in them. Somehow, documenting or experiences in photo and video format for others to see has become more important than us as individuals seeing it for our own memory book. But, to argue for the other side, many people love the art of photography. When I walk on the sea wall, as I have time and time again, I'll look at my surroundings and soak them in first-hand, then stop and take a photo so I can look at it later, remeber how beautiful it is, then perhaps, show it off to friends and family. And when I go on vacation, I photograph everything because I want to look back on it when I'm back in Vancouver! However, I do agree that having a camera in front of your face the whole time would take away from the real experience.
I agree that people today are so worried about capturing and safely storing fantastic experiences in media devices which in turn leads their very own fantastic experiences to be altered. However with the camera present or not I still insist that people should fly around the world and experience things in the real world, because no matter how much a person caring a camera cannot take their eyes off the camera and into the real world just the fact of them being there will already have changed their perceptions of such a place, and will have altered their reality.
Oh Wes.
I love your realism- you really tell it how it is. But I must say, myself as a camera enthusiast, I am guilty of the technological sin you speak of...lol. I got everywhere with a camera- and when I forget it, I feel kinda lost (sad I know). I guess its because I find such joy in looking back on wonderful memories, and without a camera, I couldn't really do that. I agree, keeping a camera in front of your face throughout the entire experience would ruin the whole experience, but taking a few pics here and there cant be so bad?? right?? :)
You always could point out the tourists by the camera strapped to their eyes. Sometimes i wish they would drop it over that bridge and actually see the real beauty in the canyon. Picture taking is almost the same problem, what is a vacation if you have to pose for a pic every two minutes it takes the experience away. I kinda find it odd that people will ruin life exeriences by looking through the lens of a video camera, as CDs and DVDs have not been proven to last very long and those memories could be wiped away and ruined faster than they were taped. Not to be a pessimist as i am sounding like one, but sometimes you just need to take in the beauty of things, sure videotape for a while but when people have their whole lives on video its a little much for me.
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