{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-article-tsx","path":"/primedigicams","webpackCompilationHash":"fd74fdbb38aa2eda4a30","result":{"data":{"primeArticle":{"headline":"Changing the Lens","author":"Bettina Wu","authorbio":"","authoremail":"","authortwitter":"","coverimg":"http://oink.dailybruin.com/packages/prime.digicams/image/1Xj2ZEtMQc60PkvkE_G9kZGGkFXqno88N/","covercred":"Photos by LEYDI CRIS COBO CORDON, SELIN FILIZ, AND MAX ZHANG","coveralt":"Photograph of a person holding a camera in front of a striped blue shirt","articleType":"article","updated":"This post was updated April 9 at 9:00 a.m.","content":[{"type":"text","value":"With my camera to my eye, I stare at the grid of Taipei cars. Like them, I lie in wait. As the lights strike green and traffic comes to life once more, my fingers frantically spin at my camera’s shutter speed dials, desperate to capture the flurry of cars whizzing across the intersection. It was my first-ever solo trip overseas, a dream that had finally come to life after months of manifestation. Out of fear of forgetting it, I tested the limits of my travel bag on every excursion, the heavy weight of my three cameras and their respective cases becoming a familiar burden across my two weeks in Asia."},{"type":"text","value":"Traversing Suzhou’s historic Humble Administrator’s Garden was like being transported back five centuries. Manmade pavilions embodying classical Southern Chinese kaleidoscopic windows and curved roofs stood tall, juxtaposed by serene waters and tall trees that blanketed the sky. Everything I saw as I wandered through the winding stone paths stopped me in my tracks, beckoning me to take a photo."},{"type":"text","value":"In a world where more and more digital devices’ functions are being outsourced to the mobile phone, cameras have also been traded out for convenience. Nowadays, built-in phone cameras have relative affordability and comparable quality that make them more desirable. After all, phones do much of the grunt work, adjusting shutter speed, aperture and ISO so instantaneously that users don’t even have to know what any of those terms mean. And with how much we rely on our phones on a day-to-day basis, the quickness with which a phone can be pulled out to capture a spontaneous moment currently has no equivalent."},{"type":"text","value":"Despite the growing dependence we have on our phones, there’s been a resurgence of the use of dedicated cameras, from digital to film. In my experience, the practice of photography with a physical camera has not only helped train my artistic eye but also fundamentally altered the way I immerse myself in the world around me. Although I’d flown home with little more than I came with, the contents of my packed SD cards had become my most precious souvenirs."},{"type":"pull","value":"{\"caption\":\"They’re like memory blocks for me.\\\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"Each picture I take is an artifact of a specific moment in my life, not only serving as tangible evidence for nearly forgotten memories but also giving me the opportunity to relive the emotions I associated with them. Second-year data theory student William Gao, who has been shooting on film for five years, said photography is a way he reminisces on his life."},{"type":"text","value":"\"They’re (the photos are) like memory blocks for me,\" Gao said. \"Oftentimes I forget some of the details in my life, but, suddenly, when I develop those film stacks, I can see what I did in the past month and some incredible moments I made.\""},{"type":"image","value":"{\"alt\":\"An image of a digital camera with a person standing on a sidewalk viewed through the lens.\",\"url\":\"http://oink.dailybruin.com/packages/prime.digicams/image/1OpRiJQyzWqxPuI3Bcz7yNUUoL2vJtycr/\",\"credit\":\"Selin Filiz/Assistant Photo editor\",\"caption\":\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"In that way, photos can serve as a kind of a memory-offloading mechanism, a loophole for our brains’ limited capacities. For many, photography’s ability to lighten the burden of memory is an enticing aspect of the craft. Second-year biochemistry student Margaux Vuillequez, who has been doing digital camera photography since she bought her camera online more than two years ago, said photography’s ability to remind her of how she felt during various times of her life was a big motivator for her to explore the hobby, and it has become one of her New Year’s resolutions to dive deeper into it."},{"type":"pull","value":"{\"caption\":\"When I develop those film stacks, I can see what I did in the past month.\\\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"As much as it’s true that taking and reviewing a photo can bring back an experience, I’ve also noticed there are times where the desire to get the perfect shot – and thus the most complete representation of the event for my future self to reflect on – can get in the way of experience-making in the present moment. This is something I grappled with on my trip. I continuously needed to mentally weigh what was more important to me – truly immersing myself in the moment, which I would never experience in the same way again, or creating a copy of it, which I could then use as a proxy to relive it over and over."},{"type":"text","value":"Striking this balance of ensuring I had both the experience and the evidence of it was hard. I pressured myself to get the perfect pictures of everything, whether it was a relic in a museum, a riverside town or my favorite artist’s concert, even switching between all three of my cameras when I deemed it necessary. But now, when I look back at those images, a massive part of what I remember is the struggle of fighting with the museum window’s glare, waiting for people to move out of my frame or fiddling with my camera settings to accommodate for the dim lighting."},{"type":"text","value":"In trying to get the best shot, I was diluting my experience of the subject I wanted to capture."},{"type":"text","value":"This raises the question: Is the act of photography an enjoyable pastime in and of itself, or is it simply a means to an end? While taking photos can be a lot more mentally taxing than I bargained for – with crowds of photobombers and changing lighting conditions being frequent issues I had to navigate – I see the process of taking photos as my main motivation for doing it. Engaging in photography can be a rewarding and fun experience, and I often felt like the challenge to get the perfect shot was an exciting problem-solving exercise. But for Gao, the product is what makes the sometimes painful process worthwhile."},{"type":"text","value":"\"Using the camera itself, it’s fun, but ultimately it’s about how to get a good picture, so I think photography itself is just a process,\" Gao said."},{"type":"text","value":"First-year economics and international development studies student Elizabeth Gant provided another perspective, adding that a big part of capturing life through a photographer’s lens is the ability to help romanticize the moment."},{"type":"text","value":"\"It’s a lot about appreciating where you are and what’s going on around you,\" Gant said. \"If it’s not the best moment in time, you can still focus on the good things and appreciate those for what they are. Photography really lets you hone in on, ‘What are the good things you see in the moment?’\""},{"type":"image","value":"{\"alt\":\"An image of a person in action taking a photo with a large camera.\",\"url\":\"http://oink.dailybruin.com/packages/prime.digicams/image/1eaJV0WIcZdUb0EoT5csx2Gd3wAbicdLt/\",\"credit\":\"Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon/Daily Bruin senior staff\",\"caption\":\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"This idea resonates deeply with me. When I immerse myself in taking photos with my camera, it becomes easier to zero in on the aspects of the scene I want to relive. In choosing where I point my lens, I am essentially writing my own narrative by deciding which moments I want to remember and forget. Second-year communication student Lily Herrick said, when she takes photographs, she thinks strategically about the different ways to frame them, considering the composition an important part of the overall message of the work she produces."},{"type":"text","value":"\"It’s an art, but it’s also like a science in a lot of ways,\" said Herrick, who shoots both film and digital photography. \"There’s a lot of rules to photography that you can break – and break strategically – or follow strategically to be able to capture a very satisfying image that evokes strong emotions.\""},{"type":"text","value":"The view of camera photography as an elevated form of picture-taking, along with its relative novelty, can also create opportunities for photographers to bond with others, since holding a camera can immediately draw attention and add credibility."},{"type":"text","value":"\"Having a film camera makes people feel like you’re a photographer, and somehow it’s easier to take a picture of a stranger, especially having a larger camera,\" Gao said, referring to the Pentax 6x7 film camera he carries for some of his shoots."},{"type":"pull","value":"{\"caption\":\"Photography really lets you hone in on, ‘What are the good things you see in the moment?’\\\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"He said he started photographing strangers more than two years ago after being inspired by other photographers he admired. He especially enjoys taking photographs of people in cool outfits and getting candid shots of them in their day-to-day lives. He said he has also bonded with other vintage camera users on his shoots and sometimes participates in Los Angeles-based photo walks, where he has had the chance to try others’ cameras and build his skills with them."},{"type":"text","value":"Vuillequez has also seen the power of her digital camera as a way to strike up conversation. Sometimes, when she pulls out her digital camera at social gatherings, people will ask her to take pictures of them. She said she enjoys the banter that naturally comes out of taking photos with her friends."},{"type":"image","value":"{\"alt\":\"An image of a person taking a photo with a small silver camera on campus.\",\"url\":\"http://oink.dailybruin.com/packages/prime.digicams/image/1PxKQ-LDHRw-TBGETVrGKgjVhCdi0FFkC/\",\"credit\":\"Max Zhang/Daily Bruin staff\",\"caption\":\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"The nostalgia-inducing quality obtained from digital and film cameras has led to a widespread trend of sharing on social media, allowing people to tell their stories and gain inspiration from each other. Gao said posting a monthly album of his best works is a motivator for pushing himself to continue engaging in the art. When he chooses pictures to post, he considers each photo’s ability to add to a cohesive story rather than focusing on their standalone value. He added that his page acts as a portfolio of his growth as a photographer."},{"type":"text","value":"However, a consequence of social media is that now there exists an urgency for people to record performed aspects of their lives and publicize them in some way. While Instagram is one of the most all-encompassing platforms for people to do so, there has been a rise of specialized apps that give users a place to record more niche aspects of their lives for friends to see, such as Letterboxd to comment on movies, Beli to share thoughts on food and BeReal to show off miscellaneous day-to-day events."},{"type":"text","value":"\"Because social media is so pervasive, there is an importance of images or documenting things and the idea that, ‘If you don’t have a picture of it, did it even happen?’ or, ‘If you didn’t post it, did it even happen?’\" Herrick said."},{"type":"text","value":"Perhaps, then, the resurgence of camera photography is, at its heart, a reflection of our current culture’s fervent need to document every passing moment. Although camera photography has reentered its peak in the mainstream, one common theme of social media trends is that they often wind down. As the current interest in cameras keeps prices rising, will the hobby be able to sustain its users, or is the transition back to phone photography imminent?"},{"type":"text","value":"When I started writing this article, I was confused about my relationship with photography. On one hand, I was certain of its value in preserving my memories and earnestly enjoyed its process. On the other hand, I could feel my overreliance on it – my need to document all of my experiences became a source of stress. But after hearing other photographers’ perspectives, I’ve come away with a lot of new ideas on what it means to take photos and how I can view the craft’s place in both my life and the world around me."},{"type":"text","value":"As time goes on and I continue to seek new experiences with my camera by my side, I’m sure photography’s place in my life will continue to evolve."},{"type":"text","value":"But for now, I’m not too worried about that."},{"type":"text","value":"After all, a photographer’s mantra is to live life in the moment."}]}},"pageContext":{"isCreatedByStatefulCreatePages":false,"term":"winter26","slug":"prime.digicams"}}}