I chose a Ted Talk called, “Does Photographing a Moment Steal the Experience from You?” by Erin Sullivan.
Erin Sullivan: Does photographing a moment steal the experience from you? | TED Talk
Currently, people have differing views surrounding the ideas of living in the moment with regards to taking photos and posting to social media. This Ted Talk describes Erin Sullivan’s personal experience with this issue, since she is a photographer who travels and posts to social media. She describes how there is a fine line between enjoying an experience and only being there for the photo, and much of that can be determined by the person’s intent.
The paradigm shift that Sullivan wants is one of thought and actions. When a person travels to a new location, is with friends, or is at a social gathering, it is important to first and foremost be present in the moment and not solely focusing on getting that perfect Instagram shot. She stresses that people can take photos without it ruining the moment as long as it is not the reason a person is there at all and as long as it does not overtake the experience. Sullivan lays out the steps people can take to ensure this paradigm shift takes effect, which includes stopping before taking a photo, looking around and connecting to nature or the people around.
One of the most important ideas to be taken from this Ted Talk is that there is no one answer to the question, “Does taking photos ruin the experience?”. Instead, it is all about making sure to find balance and stopping to think before taking the photo. She also touches on the idea of understanding when it is not ok to take a photo, giving the example of sacred Native American land. The message and intent of this speech did a good job at connecting to people by promoting personal awareness and social awareness.
Sullivan delivered her speech by conveying her message through examples of personal experience. She has traveled to beautiful, photo-worthy locations and has taken many photos, so she understand the topic she is speaking on. Those specific examples combined with her own photos helped to turn a mere speech into a story-telling presentation with a powerful message many people can use in their everyday life.