Originally posted by sabarrett to capture the moment, you can't be part of the moment
Originally posted by sabarrett I was not really complaining about my situation
Originally posted by bigben91682 Get a wide lens, turn on AF and go out and play, snapping all the while.
Well, I made the same observation some time ago and actually went thru two transitions.
First, I stopped taking photographs for the most part because I wanted to live, not observe how I live. And while, with a wide lens, you can physically be immersed, you still won't mentally. You just care about something else than the rest of the group.
Second, after some time, I changed again. I now consider taking photographs as a separate way of living. I do it consciously and I always take a decision: "Do I go to the place to do photography, or to do something else?" If not the first, I don't take the camera with me. If the first, I do things I not normally would do. This is an enrichment of my life in its own.
Photos for later memory (like kid shots) are a special case. I actually don't care anymore. If I would, I would carry a P&S and take careless/random photos. And for family events, there is always somebody else volunteering to take the photos