On the Usefulness of Photography

A lot of people think that photography disconnects the viewer from the world, imagining for instance the person holding their phone at a concert, but I think often it’s the opposite. Practicing photography compels you to ponder what is meaningful and beautiful in your surroundings. Once you gain this aesthetic self-discovery, it stays with you for

Learning to be on the lookout for beautiful things is a way of contesting the relentlessly rationalistic view of the world that surrounds us. Just as we produce thoughts by talking things over, we produce memories by composing them and reflecting. By taking lots of photos you may come to find more things you cherish.

Digital photo collections have enormous value as your personal shoeboxes, and once you’ve taken at least a photo a day for a few years its surprisingly rewarding to look back on even recent history. I have found that just casually looking back helps me recall large amounts from those years. It also helps one notice what’s important. Once you have

“A camera is a device for learning how to see without a camera.” —Dorothea Lange

there is something to be said for the value of not merely passing through the world, but also making some effort to capture it—if only because in trying to capture it, one gets in the habit of noticing, and appreciating.