(OK, do take some pictures, but take part too!)
Small Fella had his Christmas Concert yesterday
What can I say? They were all great.
Unfortunately Number One Daughter wasn’t able to make it due to a school trip so she asked me to video the whole thing. Obviously, no question.
In doing so it brought back a realisation I made when photographing University Sport back in the 1990s: if you’re photographing something then you are observing; you are not experiencing; you are not taking part.
So I saw the whole performance on the LCD but I wasn’t really ‘there’. And although I really enjoyed the OLOL School Pageant last week it’s a different experience trying to capture it in images rather than just sitting back and enjoying it.
Now I still love taking pictures so I don’t mind most of the time. But there are times in the family calendar when I deliberately leave the camera behind – or at least take the compact and put it in my pocket after getting a few snaps. I’ve learned to forget the capture and enjoy the experience. My memory still serves me pretty well.
Of course it’s often easier if someone else is doing it for you (you knew there was a plug in here somewhere didn’t you?)
So this Christmas, apart from wishing everyone a very Merry One, I’d like to remind you not to make this important time in your family’s year a full multi-media experience and make it a fully interactive one!