Are we human, or are we camera?

Watching the little screen.

Every now and then the stars align and you find yourself in an incredible situation, like dancing in the pit surrounded by the massive stage at the U2 concert in Sydney this week (oh yeah, I am bragging!).

As amazing as U2’s performance was, the vibe of being surrounded by a full stadium of roaring fans, and the sheer spectacle of the show, what really caught my eye was the number of people living the show through their camera/phone/video/other small recording device.

It seems that for many people the only way to fully appreciate a spectacular moment is to have a record of it in high definition digital. Now, I am as guilty as any of enjoying the freedom of digital photography (I did take this piccie of Bono) but perhaps there is a line between just experiencing and appreciating the moment, or purely recording it.

I don’t suspect I’ll bump into Bono or The Edge in a kayak next year, however I do anticipate experiencing many incredible moments. I’m sure I’ll return with bulging SD cards and hard drives but after seeing the pulsing sea of small digital screens at U2, I think I’ll make sure to balance my camera snapping with just pure memories.

I know photos are important – many of my early childhood memories are thin threads connecting the photos in dusty old family albums. However, to just enjoy and appreciate a precious moment (or a concert) without the need to re-set the shutter speed surely has even more value for the soul.