A famous Chinese proverb says that one picture is worth ten thousand words, and it’s true. Photos convey complex emotions, trigger memories and eloquently depict imaginings, one word cannot do that. However, the main reason for photography in everyday life is for memories. Something that does not last forever; so we try to preserve it to remind us of the happy times portrayed in the photo.
It is my opinion that there is a delicate balance between preserving memories and living life through a Camera lens. You could say that photography is important for history so that generations to come can see what life was like before them. Despite this, the probability of that particular photo being used within a historical context is highly minimal. There are thousands of similar photos, that one photo is unlikely to be unique enough that it is worth preserving for history.
Let’s say that a person strongly believes in preserving memories and feelings that they take hundreds of photos. Are they really LIVING those moments if they’re photographing them? Extraordinary sights are always more impressive when you see them without a camera. Photos aren't meant to show someone exactly what you saw, they are intented to remind you. Admittedly, people do like to see what you've been up to, but I'm sure that if asked, they would rather see 2 photos that 50.
Wouldn't you rather live life rather than look in a camera? There is so much photographic software and camera accessories, yet before they came, history still has sources. People today can still get the gist and understand the conditions in the trenches of the Second World War without having 100 photos of each angle. Ordinary people still had memories and reminders without having millions of photos, so do we need them?
