Living in the Moment

Living In the Moment

The idea of "living in the moment" is one that's been getting a lot of attention lately. Oprah's a big advocate, yogis are all for it, but there might be no bigger advocate of this than a wedding photographer.Taylor and I went to see Taking Back Sunday and The Used on Tuesday in Toronto. When Taylor told me he had gotten us tickets I reverted back to my 15 year-old self, searching for my old TBS t-shirt. The venue was packed with thousands of other long-time fans and the concert was just as amazing as I expected.Just as You're So Last Summer came on it was like every single person in the room got the same memo "we all need to record this". I was guilty too, until my phone died a second later and I had a chance to step back and look at what was going on. One of our favourite bands is on the stage singing their lungs out and we're all watching them through a 3x2 screen! We've disconnected ourselves from the real moment, and although I am ALL for using photos and videos to remember moments it's important to give yourself a chance to actually remember the moment as it happened.As a wedding photographer it's my job to capture the moments that you want to remember forever. When I show up to weddings and during the ceremony there are 100 people with their phones/ipads/cameras out trying to record the moments I have to wonder if those people will remember the moment, or if they'll have merely documented it happening. Now I'm not saying everyone should have an unplugged wedding, while I love seeing parents, relatives and friends fully engaged in the moment and choosing to not document it, I also totally get wanting to sneak a photo as the happy couple walks down the aisle or has their first kiss!So here's a few ideas.

1. The first one is, you could ignore me and just keep taking your photos and videos, don't worry I won't judge you!
2. You can minimize the amount that you use your cameras, live in the moment and embrace every second just as it's happening.. without a digital device skewing your perception. Pull out your camera during the first kiss or as they're signing the wedding license, but enjoy the day knowing that a professional has been hired to get all the moments you might have missed capturing!
3.  Go unplugged, 100%, entirely. There's something really liberating about leaving your phone at home; not instagramming, tweeting, or facebooking. This isn't the right option for everyone, but try it out! Maybe not at your best friend's wedding, but the next time you go to a concert or a special event when you would've been snapping away, try unplugging for the night and see what happens! I think you'll be surprised what you remember.Be conscious of whether you're living in the moment or simply documenting it!

Much Love,

Lindsay