I’ve substituted photograph making (like a smoker would use chewing gum) with a notebook and pens. Every time I feel the urge to take a photograph, I pull out my notebook and draw the scene. I’ve learned a lot more about the places I’ve been and, in every country I’ve traveled to, this method usually created a mob of children around us in any public park. These interactions have been some of the best cultural travel experiences I’ve had …
… Taking a photograph of the Eiffel Tower, for example, seems ridiculous. There are millions of photos of the Eiffel Tower. If I were to take my own photo, I doubt I could pick it out from a crowd. By drawing, though, I would spend about 25 minutes looking at the Eiffel Tower, rather than 1/30 of a second, burning it into my brain rather than the digital sensor.
- August Heffner in “The case against vacation photos”
For me, the broader point is that you should do whatever you need to do to savor your surroundings and see the world fresh. Sketch in a notebook. Or stare. Or spin until you’re dizzy. Or shoot photos at an awkward shutter speed. Or write hack poetry. Or remove your specs and embrace your myopia for once. Or walk toward the Eiffel Tower without ever looking up and then turn your back on the landmark and know that it’s right there behind you and try to see if really noticing the facial expressions of your fellow tourists can be enough to give you a contact high.
