Does photographing a moment steal the experience from you? | Erin Sullivan

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Camille Martínez

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Yuwei Duan

What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?

你去過最美的地方是哪裡？

And when you were there, did you take a picture of it?

你在那裡時，有拍照嗎？

Here's a place that tops that list for me.

對我來說，這個地方是最美的。

This is Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park in Utah

這是日出時分在猶他州 峽谷地國家公園的梅薩拱門，

at sunrise.

It's the traditional homeland of the Pueblo, Ute,

這是普韋布洛人、猶他人、 派尤特人、納瓦荷人的傳統家園，

Paiute and Navajo people,

and when you are there,

當你身在其中，

it is absolutely stunning.

一定會目瞪口呆。

The sunrise illuminates the bottom of the arch orange,

日出會讓拱門的底部 呈現出溫暖的橙色，

and then behind it you see the buttes and clouds and cliffs.

接著，你會看到它後面的 孤峰、雲朵、懸崖。

But what you might not see from my photo here

但，從我這張照片中可能看不到的

is the 30 people behind me who were also taking photos.

是我身後還有三十個人也在拍照。

And these are just the committed people, the sunrise people, right?

這些人都是很忠實 愛看日出的人，對吧？

So when you think about that,

仔細想想，

there must be hundreds if not thousands of photos of Mesa Arch taken every week.

每週大家拍攝的梅薩拱門照片 一定有幾千張，或至少幾百張。

I've been sharing my photography on Instagram for years,

多年來我一直在 IG 上分享我的照片，

and it started to become really interesting and funny, even,

開始變得很有趣且好笑的是，

just how many similar photos of the same places

我開始在網路上看到，

同一個地點有好多類似的照片。

I started to see online.

And I was participating in it.

而我也參與其中。

So this made me wonder:

我開始納悶：

Why are we taking photos in the first place?

我們最初是為什麼想要拍照片？

Sometimes, I visit a popular landmark --

有時，我會造訪知名的地標——

this one is Horseshoe Bend in Arizona --

這是亞利桑那的蹄鐵灣——

and I see all the people with their phones and cameras out

我會看到大家都拿出 手機和相機來拍照，

who snap a photo,

然後就轉身回到車上 或走回小道的起點。

just to turn and get back in the car or walk back to the trailhead.

And sometimes it seems like we are missing the point

有時感覺起來好像 我們弄錯了重點，

of going to this place to experience it for ourselves

去這個地方應該是要親身去體驗

or to see it with our own eyes.

或是去親眼看看。

When I'm behind the camera,

當我在相機後面時，

I notice the smallest details:

我會注意到最小的細節：

the layers of light in the mountains

當一天結束時，光漸漸消逝，

as the light fades at the end of the day;

能看見山上有光線的層次；

the shapes that nature so expertly makes,

或是大自然創造出的精妙形狀，

abstract and yet completely perfect.

既抽象又完美。

I could go on and on here musing about the intricacies of this planet

光想著地球的錯綜複雜， 及它帶給我的感受，

and the way that it makes me feel.

我就可以講個沒完。

Photographing the beauty and complexity of this world

對我來說，拍攝這個 世界的美麗和複雜

for me is like making a portrait of someone that I love.

就像是為我愛的人製作畫像。

And when I make a photograph,

當我拍照時，

I have to think about what I want it to say.

我必須要想我想要表達的是什麼。

I have to ask myself what I want it to feel like.

我必須要問自己，

我想要讓它有什麼感覺。

When you're communicating through an image,

透過影像來溝通時，

每個創造性的選擇都很重要。

every creative choice matters.

Sometimes, I plan to share my images,

有時，我打算分享照片，

and other times, I take them just for myself.

有時，我只是為了自己而拍。

I currently host a video series on the future of the outdoors,

我目前在主持一系列影片， 主題是戶外的未來，

and for one of the episodes we wanted to explore

在其中一集，我們想要探究

the relationship between photography and outdoor spaces.

攝影和戶外空間之間的關係。

I learned about the research of Kristin Diehl

我聽到了克莉絲汀·迪歐 （Kristin Diehl）

和她在南加大的同事做的研究，

and her colleagues at USC,

who studied photo-taking's effect on enjoyment levels.

關於拍照對享受程度的影響。

They found that when we're behind the camera,

他們發現，當我們在相機背後時，

when we're the ones taking the picture,

當我們拍照時會更享受， 而不是減少。

we enjoy our experiences more, not less.

But it wasn't true all the time.

但並非一直如此。

If the person took the photo solely with the intention of sharing it,

如果拍照的意圖在於要分享照片，

there was no increase in enjoyment,

享受程度就不會增加，

because they didn't do it for themselves.

因為他們拍照不是為了自己。

So this points to an important distinction:

這就點出了非常重要的區別：

photography can enhance your experience

如果有意圖地去拍照，

if it's done intentionally.

就可以增強你的體驗。

The intention piece is what matters.

重要的是刻意的意圖。

As a photographer, I've really had to check myself on this.

身為攝影師，我真的 很需要注意這一點。

When does it help me to have my camera out,

何時把相機拿出來會對我有幫助，

and when do I just need to put it away?

何時應該把它收起來？

On a trip to Alaska, I had the opportunity to photograph Alaskan brown bears.

在一趟阿拉斯加之旅中，

我有機會拍攝阿拉斯加棕熊。

I was on a boat with four other photographers,

我和另外四名攝影師同在一條船上，

and we were all having our minds blown

在那一刻，我們全都好興奮，

at the same time

in such close proximity to these animals.

能夠這麼接近這些動物。

It's an emotional experience.

那是個很情緒化的體驗。

Being eye to eye with these bears gave me a feeling of connection

和這些棕熊四目相對， 讓我產生一種連結感，

that transcends words,

而言語無法形容，

and having my camera with me in this case enhanced that.

在這個例子中， 帶著相機強化了我的體驗。

We were all creating independently but also all completely in the moment,

在那一刻，我們都在 獨立卻整體地創作，

和大自然也和彼此連結。

both with nature and with each other.

I so clearly remember

我非常清楚記得，

capturing the water droplets and the motion as the bears swam

我捕捉到棕熊游泳時的水滴和動作，

and the cute cubs following their mothers.

以及小熊跟著母親的畫面。

That group and I will have that experience together

我和那群人共有這個體驗，

and these images to look back on

將來可以透過這些影像反復回顧，

time and time again,

and photography is what enabled us to share this in the first place.

最初，就是因為拍照， 才讓我們能有這樣的共同體驗。

Other times, I choose to leave the camera behind,

有些時候，我會選擇放下相機，

and I think that choice ultimately improves both my experience

我認為這個選擇最終

讓我的體驗及作品變得更好。

and my work.

I recently flew to the South Pacific island of Tonga

不久前，我飛到 南太平洋的東加群島，

to swim with humpback whales.

去和座頭鯨一同游泳。

I noticed myself feeling pressure

我發現自己感受到壓力和義務，

and a certain obligation to take the camera with me,

覺得必須要隨身帶著相機，

when sometimes I just wanted the pure experience itself.

雖然有時我只想要單純去體驗。

And the experience is seriously amazing.

那體驗是真的很不可思議。

You're talking about being in the water

我在說的是身在水中，

with a curious baby animal the size of a station wagon

和一隻旅行車尺寸的 好奇動物寶寶共處，

while you are surrounded by particles that float around you like glitter,

身邊還圍繞著漂浮的發光粒子，

and the mom swims gracefully below you.

母鯨則優雅地從你下方游過。

There were times, obviously, when I did take my camera with me,

顯然有時，我還是會帶著相機，

and those were really amazing to capture as well.

那些景象真的太棒了，值得拍照。

But the setup is pretty big.

但設備相當大。

It's like this big box. This is what it looks like.

它就像是個大盒子。

像照片上的這樣。

And so this is between me and the whales,

它就介於我和鯨魚中間，

and at times that feels like a block between you and reality.

有時，它感覺就像是 你和現實之間的阻礙。

Is there a difference when it's just your phone?

如果換成是一支手機，有差嗎？

Last year, I went to Uluru in Central Australia,

去年，我去澳洲中部看烏魯魯。

which is this massive rock that towers over the desert.

烏魯魯是聳立在 沙漠裡的一塊巨石。

This is sacred land to Anangu,

它是阿南古人的聖地，

who are the Aboriginal people from this area

他們是這個區域的原住民，

and the traditional owners of the land.

也是這片土地的傳統所有者。

There are particular spots in Uluru that you cannot photograph professionally,

在烏魯魯有些特定地點 不能進行專業的攝影，

because they are culturally sensitive,

因為在文化上太敏感，

equivalent to sacred scripture to Anangu.

對於阿南古人等同於聖典。

So because of this, most of my photographs are from either far away, like this one,

因此，我大部分的照片 要麽是從遠方拍攝，

像這張，

or from specific angles in the park.

要麽是從公園中的特殊角度拍攝。

You could say that some of the most interesting and beautiful visuals in Uluru

可以說烏魯魯有一些 最有趣、美麗的景象

are located in these sensitive areas,

都在這些敏感區域中。

but the request not to photograph them is an explicit and direct invitation

但，要求不要拍攝這些地方，

就像一種直接又明確的邀請，

to learn more about the land, its importance and its people.

請我們去更了解這塊土地、 它的重要性，和它的人民。

Isn't that what we should be doing anyway?

那不就是我們該做的嗎？

So my visit to Uluru quickly became not about me

所以，我這次烏魯魯 參訪之旅的重點不再是關於我，

but about connecting with the place.

而是與這個地方的連結。

Ironically and unsurprisingly,

很諷刺，但不意外，

I have found that presence and connection

我發現，身在現場以及連結

also happens to make for more compelling images.

也能促成更引人入勝的影像。

We can probably all point to social media

我們可能都會認定社群媒體

as being a good place to share the images from our travels and from our lives.

是分享旅行和生活照片的好地方。

We not only share pieces of the world that we have seen

我們不僅分享了看到的部分世界，

but also parts of our day-to-day experiences.

還有我們的部分日常經歷。

And if we're applying intentionality to the photos we take,

如果我們把意圖性 用在我們拍的照片上，

then hopefully we're sharing intentionally too.

希望我們也能有意圖地去分享。

For me, allowing people to see pieces of my story and my perspective online

對我來說，將我的故事和觀點 放在網路上分享給別人看

has reminded me that I'm not alone.

能提醒我：我並不孤單。

It's helped me build support and community

這麼做能協助我獲得支持和社群，

to do the same for others.

來為他人做同樣的事。

Let me be clear:

讓我說清楚：

I am not trying to discourage you from taking photos.

我並不是要勸阻大家拍照。

Even if thousands of people have been to whatever exact location

即使有數千個人 都去過同樣的地點，

and taken whatever exact photo,

拍過相同的照片，

I encourage you to get out and create too.

我仍然鼓勵大家走出去創作。

The world needs every voice and perspective,

世界需要每一個聲音和觀點，

and yours is included.

包括你的。

But what I'm trying to show you is that the phone or camera

但我想要告訴各位的是，

不見得時時刻刻都得 把手機或相機拿出來。

doesn't have to stay out all the time.

What I'm trying to encourage you to do

我想要鼓勵大家去做的

is to put it away, just for a moment --

是暫時把它們收起來——

a moment for you.

留一刻給你自己。

So let's go back to Mesa Arch,

讓我們回到梅薩拱門，

the way that the rock glows orange

岩石發出橙色光芒的方式，

and the lovely layers of blue in the background.

以及背景中有層次的美麗藍色。

What if the next time you were somewhere amazing,

如果下次你到了一個很棒的地方，

you couldn't bring your camera or phone?

卻沒有帶你的相機或手機呢？

What if you were not allowed to take any pictures at all?

如果禁止拍照呢？

Would it feel like a limitation?

感覺會像是限制嗎？

Or would it feel like a relief?

還是會感覺鬆一口氣？

So what can we do?

我們能怎麼做？

Well, the next time you feel the impulse to take out your camera or phone,

下次，如果你有衝動想要 拿出你的相機或手機，

or, in my case, once you realize you have already pulled it out --

或者，就我來說，是發現 已經把它拿出來了——

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

First: stop.

首先：停下來。

Pause.

暫停。

Take a deep breath.

深呼吸。

Look around. What do you notice?

看看四周。

你注意到什麼？

Are you experiencing this moment with someone else?

你有和他人一起體驗這個時刻嗎？

Remember that this moment only comes once.

要記得，這個時刻一去不復返。

Photography can be part of a beautiful experience.

攝影可以成為這個 美麗經歷的一部分。

Just don't let it be a block between you and reality.

重點是不要讓它擋在你和現實之間。

Be intentional,

要有意圖地做，

and don't lose a beautiful, irreplaceable memory,

不要因為你太專注在拍照

而失去了美麗、無可取代的記憶。

because you were too focused on getting the shot.

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）