Pictures...

Okay, one more quick one about Hawaii.

I told you about making the decision on photos. While we were there I got a little reminder about why it's a good idea.

There was a couple staying at the resort. Young, gorgeous, photogenic. Or at least I assume photogenic because that's all we ever saw them doing. He would take photos of her and she would review them for the ones that were going to be kept. I have to admire that it was done old school camera, well semi old school, still digital so old school, not ancient school.

ANYWAY...

Coming back from dinner one night we were walking along the beach path as the sun was setting. Tourists in Hawaii have been known to applaud sunsets they are so lovely. Not me. That's weird. But we've seen people do it.

So he's taking pictures of her posing with the sunsetting behind her. Picture after picture, subtle changes to the posing. Then she'd run over and they'd look through the photos and do it again. Finally they got whatever one was the perfect shot and they left. Before the best part of the sunset, when the sun dips right behind the ocean and the whole sky erupts in color.

I told Brent I was pretty sure she hadn't turned around once to actually see the sunset that was happening. He said that she saw it, everytime she looked at the photos, she just didn't see it live.

We saw them the next night down on the moonlit beach doing the same thing.

I am sure they are going to have great shots of her from their vacation. Probably stunning ones actually. But what will she remember of them?

We've seen it for years. Insta Boyfriends or Husbands. Hawaii and Disney. Taking shot after shot after shot of their partner on the beach, holding the perfect cupcake infront of Snow White's castle. Posing in front of the Christmas tree on Main Street while the line gets longer and longer and longer of other people waiting for their chance at a souvenir photo.

It's always what I would think when an "influencer" would end up in my For You feed. That gorgeous shot of them at some exotic locale. Everyone in the comments talking about how perfect it all looked. And me knowing that it took a half hour of reshoots just to get that one perfect one, meanwhile the adventure was moving without them.

I love photos. I love seeing vacation pictures when people travel. I love sharing my own pictures with everyone else. But what I really love is that they aren't perfect staged shots. They are "look at this cool thing I saw that I want to share with you." Even the shot I take of Brent and I on the plane, or before the play, or on the beach, that's usually a one and done. I'll call a retake if one of us blinks or if someone behind us makes it look like we have an arm growing out of our heads. Though I tend to post both, because they are funny.

I guess I just want to remind you to take the photo. THE photo. Then experience the world. Watch the sunset instead of looking at the photo of the sunset. Kiss on the moonlit beach instead of standing five feet apart searching for that perfect angle.

And don't hold up the line on Main Street, people have rides to get to.