Not take a camera?

I could NEVER leave my camera at home!

I cannot imagine leaving my camera at home. On the other hand, I see people taking 100's of photos of almost the same thing, just one after another, often with themselves or their family members in each photo standing in front of ...... (fill in the blank) I would think that looking at those photos at home might get a bit boring, and yes, they have lost a lot of the atmosphere of the place as they have only seen it in the through the camera lens.

What if there is a gorgeous sunset, or sunrise, or a rainbow over the mountain, or a fun street fest, or well, anything interesting that you can't buy a photo of in a book? Then you will wish you had your camera. You can always bring it, but just don't use it unless you really want to. But if you don't have it, I think you will be berating yourself the whole time.

Maybe you could bring a disposable film camera. Or buy one in Paris. They are cheap, maybe $4 at Walmart or Target. That way, you will have something on hand in case you see something you do want a picture of, and you wont risk losing your pricey camera.

I carry a digital camera but still always have a disposable film camera on me just as a back up.

Half of my trip is just for the sake of getting pics so I can relive special and fun times once I am back home, not to mention its a great way to bore your friends and family! Whee!

Oh, you must take your camera! When I look at the photos after a trip I am reminded of so many things that happened around each particular picture, just little things that would never be remembered without the visual memory jog. On a cruise last October I lost my camera on the first day out of Barcelona and so much of that holiday is now a blank. I can't remember a damn thing about Corfu!

A good part of my trip is the photography. But one thing you might want to do is slow down a bit for your photographs. Look around you and look for the right shot, the one that's a little different. I've found that this helps me to observe what's going on around me better. And, when I observe it better, I enjoy it more, or at least understand it better. Pam

I agree with Jo. Some people are totally camera-happy and I could see where they're so intent on taking pictures that they don't experience whatever they're looking at. But there's definitely a happy balance. And I love to take pictures so I can enjoy those moments over and over for eternity!

Grier, I will support you but you might also consider going to a very simple set up. I do think that excessive photography can get in the way of enjoying the trip and how you interact with locals. There have been postings on this site from folks who claim they take 3, 4, 5000 pictures each trip. Don't necessarily believe them because if you do the math they are taking pictures every 20 to 30 secs. That is ridiculous.

Twenty years ago I carried expensive SLR, multi-lenses, a video camera - I thought I was a first class photographer -- at least I was equipped like one. I spent a lot of time focusing on my equipment. Hate to guess the image I projected. Then I read a very interesting articles by a famous Nat Geo photography who was very critical of equipment freaks. He only used an RF camera with one lens. His point was that the emphasis should be on the picture setup, lighting, angles. etc., and not on whether to use a 70mm lens or a 150. Personally thought he made excellent points. I have really simplified what I do. I am using a very small, high quality P&S. I take fewer pictures and only of significant subjects really related to the trip. I don't bother anymore with street scenes, tops of buildings, etc. For me it works, for others probably not.

Try going without a camera. You can always change for the next trip.

Not taking my camera along would be unthinkable for me. Taking hundreds of pictures per day would be unthinkable for me as well. You end up seeing everything through a lens and very little "for real".

For example, I can't understand why people go to Florence to see David and then shoot one picture after another of the statue. Everybody with some form of education has seen pictures of David before going to Italy. Why pay thousands of $$$ to create yet another picture? I do it to see the real thing without the limitations of a frame.

In the end I don't think it's too difficult to find a middle ground - enjoy the process of photography and the memories that come along with it AND still soak in the atmosphere of the place without being tied to the camera.

Bring a small camera that easily fits in your pocket. I put my small one in my day bag and didn't get it out for a day in Florence, and I did find myself really enjoying the museums and taking in the atmosphere more so than when I am snapping pictures, even though I would never admit this to my husband.

Grier,

To answer the question in your last sentence - NO, I have never left my Camera at home, and there's no way that's going to happen on future trips. Photography is an important part of my travels, and looking at and displaying the images I've created is part of the enjoyment of travel for me.

For the past few year, I've been travelling with both a dSLR as well as a small P&S Camera. If I going out in the evenings, I often take the P&S in a pocket "just in case" I decide to get a few photos (on those occasions, I'm usually wishing I had the dSLR with me as the P&S just doesn't have the capabilities).

However, I try to "strike a balance" so that I'm not looking at Europe through a viewfinder the entire trip. I always have the dSLR with me during the day and sometimes at night too, but I don't let that interfere with appreciating the sights or talking to the locals.

I'd suggest that you at least pack a small P&S (and Charger) along. It won't take much room or add significantly to the weight of your luggage. It's better to have it and not use it than want it and not have it available.

Happy travels!

Memories are faulty things. No, I don't want to live your trip through the viewfinder, but neither do I want to be struggling to remember this or that thing, that I wished I had a picture of.

I think photos are one of the best (and with digital, cheapest!) souvenirs of any trip. I would take a small pocket-sized point and shoot camera, and if you feel like you are spending too much time taking pictures, just put it away for an hour or two.

I pack a camera but take few pictures & have had a few trips where I haven't taken one picture. I've never been sorry. I took a lot of pictures when I first started traveling, but then never looked at them. Also, most people (if they're honest) are not interested in looking at our photos. Sometimes tho, I will devote part of a day to the camera. I like to travel slow & really look. There are a lot of books, DVDs, postcards, etc out there of the places I've visited. When I need a refresher, I look at a professional's photos. That said, I do plan to take a camera next month as I'm going to be on a tour & expect that I'll regret it if I don't have pictures of the group.

We have bought beautiful post cards and had them professionally framed (the matting really enhances the postcard). One from Paris hangs behind my chair and one from Germany hangs in my foyer.

We realize that this is near-heresy, but we have never brought a camera along nor have we regretted not bringing one. We have downloded photos of the places we traveled to and many of those photos are far better than any we could have taken. We suppose conspiracy theorists could say we have no photographic proof of our trips but we'll take the chance.

We realize that this is near-heresy, but we have never brought a camera along nor have we regretted not bringing one. We have downloded photos of the places we traveled to and many of those photos are far better than any we could have taken. We suppose conspiracy theorists could say we have no photographic proof of our trips but we'll take the chance.

I don't believe taking pictures is a waste of time. Taking pictures is an art form. This is your chance to use the creative side of you. I am always told that my picture taking improves every year. I only use an Easy Share camera, so nothing fancy at all, but the pictures turn out great. I get much of enjoyment of taking pictures, and maybe you will enjoy it as much as I. Please don't feel guilt for taking pictures. If anything, you see things even more, and from different angles. You learn from this. Rick Steves has said it's a waste of time, and this is one thing he says I very much disagree. Because I travel in the fall, five years in a row, I made my own Christmas cards from the pictures I take, and everyone loves them! Different from any other card out there. I want to add, when it comes to the Statue of David, you can't take a picture of it! There are guards everyplace to stop you from taking any picture there! In that case, I do buy postcards. When I was in Milan on my last trip, we couldn't take a picture of The Last Supper, so I bought a postcard. Sure, almost everyone has seen pictures of some of these work of art. I love to take pictures of landscaping mostly. But, in Milan, I took a picture of the Duomo and a bird flew right in front of me, up close, and that made the best picture! You have to see it to know how beautiful that looks. You can't get that on a postcard! Okay, I'll shut up now, but I have a great passion for picture taking, and hope someday I can afford a better camera. But that's me. photography is not for everyone.

For some of us, photography is a means of artistic expression, as well as a means of recording the moment, the same as writing or blogging about our travels. But if you don't enjoy photography for its own sake, then don't worry about it. Get a few shots of family or friends at scenic or historic sites and move on. Or, if you want professional quality pictures, buy postcards; most are made with the best equipment and under ideal conditions that you will probably not have the chance to duplicate. Either way is fine. Personally, I use my camera sparingly, but I would hate to be without it on a trip.

PS: I am editing this because I saw Lisa's comments after I wrote the above paragraph. I did not mean to rephrase what she was saying, but photographic minds think alike.

I rarely take a camera with me in my travels. I find it too much of a distraction. I know this is a minority view and most people think I'm nuts for not taking a picture every little thing I come across, but for me mental images work best. I find I learn more, and get more from the overall experience.

You are not nuts at all!
Many of us that do take pictures do not take pictures of every little thing. I'm very picky of what I take a picture of, but I'm sure there are some people that do!

I have the best of all possible worlds, I think. I seldom take pictures, but my husband takes literally thousands. When we get back, I spend an afternoon going through his photos and picking a few dozen that I download onto my computer to enjoy. (He hardly ever looks at his because there are so many, but I think he gets great enjoyment out of the act of talking them.)

Thank you all for your replies. I'll be traveling with a friend who is a wonderful photographer and I can order some of her pictures on-line. Even so, your comments have convinced me to take my camera and use it sparingly. I'd hate to miss something. But I also want to savor the time I'll have in France and not focus so much on picture taking (pun intended!). Thanks again for the discussion.

Last two out of 4 trips,, I brought no camera. On one trip was with a friend who had brought one,, so I got what I wanted from her( which was really only about 3 or 4 shots of us together). This past summer I went solo, and did not bring a camera. Reason was,, I was going to Paris mainly,, and I have been there many many times.. I no longer need any shots of any site,, with me in front of it or not..

Do I regret not bringing a camera.. well, honestly , only twice ,, once when I met up some relatives( I have photos of them from last year, but, they are elderly and I always worry they won't last till the next time I can visit them) and once in London when I met up with some friends.

I think taking pictures , of pictures in a Museum,is the silliest waste of time and effort.. the postcards are better, and they won't have someones head in them!

Would I travel with out a camera as a rule, .,, no,, not if I was going to different places,, I only consider it if its somewhere I had been often.

I love my photos. Most of them bring back a flood of memories that would otherwise be buried for all time, I suspect.

Take your camera with, and try doing without it - leave it behind in your hotel for a day or two, and see how you feel. If you are jonesing for it, you still have it for the rest of your trip. If you are happier without it, you have learned a valuable lesson.

I would never leave my camera at home. But, what I do regret is taking too many scenery shots and not enough with myself or friends/family in them.

Even I agree that buying postcards of great art work is best. I've seen some very bad snapshots of art work.
Many museums wont let you take pictures of art anyway. Some do if you don't use a flash. I've bought some art postcards and frame some of them. They look classy in beautiful frames.

No Camera? Just not a possibility. I'd rather skip the trip altogether. I find the taking of pictures as much fun as the trip itself. If my camera broke while on a trip, I'd be in the first camera store I could find buying a new one, regardless of the cost.

I admit to spending an extreme amount of time taking pictures - usually 150-200 per day (I also do video too), and have often wondered if I was spending too much time doing this versus enjoying the sights. But frankly I find that taking pictures enhances my trip. I look for the unique views and shots and this gets me looking at the sights in so many different ways that I often see things others miss.

Even with this many pictures I always feel that 25% will be throw aways (exposure, blurry, etc...), 50% will be OK but not great and maybe I get 15% that I like with maybe 10% that I really like. I constantly challenge myself for better shots and refuse to "photoshop" or "enhance" my pictures to cheat. I love the challenge!

Now my backgrounds and screensavers are wonderful experiences and remind me of great times. Stressful day(?) - Sit back and enjoy the show!

Bottom line - Take the Camera!

Well, we almost did this because we (actually, it was my husband)accidentally left our recharger at home. So we shot photos until the battery died. At first, I thought this wasn't a bad thing, since I'd rather live my life than record it, but after a while, we began to realize what a huge mistake this was. We searched all over Normandy for a shop that sold the particular recharger for our Japanese camera (we figured a European recharger would come in handy since someone in our household is always traveling), but could not find one, so we ended up buying multiple disposable cameras. Now we have some wonderful photos from our digital camera and some really bad ones from the disposables.
Don't do this.

I just came back from a six week trip to Spain/France and I took over 2000 pictures! Call me crazy but I think I appreciated everything much more than my non-photo snapping travel partners. In trying to capture the essence of all the beautiful, majestic, historical, ancient sites that we experienced I lingered over those sights much more closely. While my companions walked swiftly through (for example) the Alhambra gardens, I lagged behind first appreciating the magnificence of the place and then trying to capture its beauty on film so I could never forget it. On the rare occassion my camera was not with me, I felt lost. Of course when I got home, some of the photo's did not make the grade and were deleted (but not that many). Because I took so many photo's I bought a digital photo frame, so whenever I want to see them, I just turn on the frame. The photo's are also accompanied by beautiful classical music also loaded on the frame.

I like Kerry's post. Just because we are taking pictures does not mean we are not experiencing Europe!
So true that some people that don't take pictures just walk by a place quickly, when the picture taker takes more time to look at something and take a nice picture.
Remember, I said "some" people, not all! I'm sure the other way around is true too, that sometimes picture takers walk by quickly and snap a photo and quickly move on too, but a person that really cares about their pictures, and are creative, take their time.
Because of this thread, I had a nightmare that I left me camera at home on my London and Paris trip! It's true!! That's how much I love taking pictures.

How about this crazy concept: If you want to bring a camera along, take it along. If you don't...then don't. There's no right or wrong answer.

p.s. Lisa, inform your self-conscious that the next time you forget your camera in your dream travels, you can always purchase one at dream store. I'm fairly certain they're sold over there;)

Hey, you're right Michael! Lol!

I have been a shutterbug since the age of 2. It is very difficult for me to enjoy a trip if I can't photograph any of it. But, like Frank, I used to take a big SLR, lenses, etc. and focus so much on, well, focusing, that that aspect of photography became less than enjoyable for me (and my traveling companions). So I switched to sort of a hybrid SLR/P&S that allows me to 1) keep it in my purse or day bag, and 2) still take fantastic pictures. I can be a photographer without looking like one!

If you're not going to take your camera along, I like the suggestions of taking a disposable camera just in case, which comes without the worry about batteries, memory cards, extra film, etc.

Just returned from 2 weeks in UK and it occurred to me several times how many people were so busy taking photos, they didn't seemed to enjoy the experience. I sat in a nook for over 5 minutes next to Elizabeth I's memorial totally in awe of where I was, while hoards of people just walked through in a steady stream not even stopping except to take a photo.

After 30-something posts on this topic, apparently one thing has been established:

That this is one of those subjects where there is no right or wrong answer. It's strictly a matter of personal preference.

No one who enjoys taking pics on their trips is going to be convinced, by anything said here, to leave their camera at home.

And vice versa.

Grier,

I would never leave my camera at home.
You can see the sights thru the camera view finder any way, but it doesn't really take me much time to take a picture, not to look at things.