why I’m breaking up with my iPhone camera

Mar 3

Half the time, I don't even remember picking up my phone. But there it is, in my hand, and I'm doomscrolling. Again. Commercial break? I'm checking my phone. Bathroom break? I'm scrolling. At lunch with a friend & they head to the bathroom? Pull out my phone.

And while I've been trying to tackle this problem head-on and have been making a bit of headway (like moving my phone out of reach or to another room, and keeping a book next to me instead), it's not a perfect plan.

**Because the camera app is my gateway drug back into phone addiction.**

Sitting down to a nice meal & pulling out my phone to take a few photos first, only to get stuck replying to a few texts that are still unanswered.

Laughing at my dog's antics & pulling out my phone to take a quick pic of them, only to start swiping through the multiple notifications that have already piled up again... while my dog barks at me for ignoring her.

Being at an event with my husband & wanting to snap a few pics to remember the moment... only to find myself taking 25 photos of the same thing from multiple angles because I didn't get it "right" the first time, checking & deleting the photos, and composing the perfect social media caption to go along with the perfect pic... and now my husband is sighing with frustration because I'm not really HERE with him.

So now that I'm aware of these things, I'm trying to be more PRESENT in my own life, instead of living it through my phone.

**And one of the things I've been doing to make sure I stay present in the moment is putting DOWN my iphone & using my new Camp Snap Screen-Free Digital Camera as my everyday camera, instead.**

Disclaimer: I actually purchased one of these cameras for this very reason... and then ended up loving it so much I became an affiliate of theirs! 🙌

Which means that you can get $5 off a camera of your own by purchasing through any of the links in this post.

And yeah, I'll be writing a separate post in the near future with a full review, likes/dislikes, and tips for use. But for NOW…

Here's WHYI love the Camp Snap screen-free digital camera so, so much:

1. This camera reminds me of my childhood.

As a kid, my dad was the photographer in our family. Not as a business, but just because. He took photos of our everyday moments as a way of documenting & remembering.

And with film, you never knew what you were gonna end up with. Would the photo be dark, fuzzy, have a giant thumb covering half the frame? We wouldn't find out till he'd have the film developed and we'd pass the 4x6 prints around the kitchen table, laughing at the ones that didn't turn out, and reminiscing over the ones that had. The memories came flooding back, and were solidified by looking at those photos.

And with this camera, I'm getting the same kind of feeling. The anticipation of waiting to SEE each photo, not knowing how they actually turned out. Laughing at the ones that suck, and feeling pulled back INTO the moment by the ones that turned out good.

And this camera was created with the old-skool film photos in mind, for this sense of nostalgia. There's a slight blurriness at the edges, and a warm filter on the photos themselves. Which tooootally takes me back to being an 80s/90s kid.

2. I'm present IN the moment.

Unlike my phone, I'm not distracted by texts, notifications, or the jolt of "what did I miss on social media?" Instead, I'm simply pulling out the screenless camera, taking a photo, and putting the camera down again. Easy as that.

I'm not checking the screen to see how the photo turned out, or taking 25 shots to make sure I get it juuuust right. I'm not looking at the screen to pick out the perfect shot of the moment that just happened, or wondering which filter to add to make it LOOK even better.

I'm here. In the moment. Using the camera to capture the moment. That's it. It's not a photoshoot... it's real life happening. And I'm there for it, spending time WITH my loved ones, rather than next to them.

3. **My actual memory is improving.**

Okay, so this was a weird realization, but stick with me (because it's backed by science)...

Let's say you go to a concert, and you end up watching a majority of it through your phone because you're taking photos & videos of what's happening on the stage. And on the ride home, you're swiping through your photos & videos, already reliving your favorite moments.

Guess what? Those moments you captured will now be the MAIN thing remembered about being there. By living the experience through your phone instead of having actual tactile interactions/experiences, and by viewing them over & over again so closely to the actual event itself, THIS is what gets moved to longterm memory storage. You'll remember the views that you captured, and not much else.

BUT... if you take one single photo during a favorite song to help you remember the actual moment, you'll be much more able to use that single photo to help reconstruct the events & emotions that were happening in the actual moment. The photo acts as a reminder to help jog your memory, instead of your memories only being that one view that you'd photographed/filmed through your camera.

Wild, right??? (If interested, here's a quick/easy article about it.)

So yeah... putting down my phone & taking ONE photo at a time with my Camp Snap screen-free digital camera has deeeefinitely started helping me stay IN the moment, and remember more from each one.

Now, will this camera replace the quality of my professional DSLR or even my iPhone? No way. But that's not the point of using this screen-free camera. It's not a replacement for those other devices. It's got a time & place & PURPOSE all its own.

Like giving me a piece of my LIFE back.

And I'm loving it for that.