Why Look at the Camera?

Have you ever noticed how we all seem to be trained to look at a camera anytime someone pulls one out? It doesn’t matter what kind of camera it is, either! It could be a phone camera, a pro-grade DSLR, or a point-n-shoot, any time someone pulls one out to take a picture of a moment, we all stop what we’re doing and look at the camera! Now, there is a reason that we’ve been trained to do this, but this isn’t necessarily what we should be doing any more.

When photography was first invented, creating a single image took upwards of 5 minutes. It took this long because the chemical reaction that actually caused the recording of the image took that long to gather enough exposure to light to fully react and record the image. During those 5 minutes, people couldn’t move, because if they did, their image would become blurred and would effectively be ruined. This is why most antique images feature people who aren’t smiling. And, because the process was so expensive, of course people wanted images of their faces to preserve what they looked like! So, we became trained to look at the camera over time!

But, as time and technology have progressed, we have achieved the ability to take hundreds of photographs in less than an hour’s time. We can afford to take many different versions of poses quickly and effectively, and so capturing special moments of interaction have become possible. These moments of connection with loved ones, especially on special occasions, are so important! It is argued that these moments of connection are what separate us from the animals. They are the moments we live and love for. And, often they are the reason someone pulls out a camera in the first place!

So, I know it’s a hard habit to break, but can we all stop looking at the camera in EVERY photo?