Opportunity Cost: Travel for travel’s sake or is it all about getting a good photo?

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*This post is participating in its first blog-hop hosted by Tortoise Mum on the theme of Opportunity Cost.  Hop on over and take a look at other posts on opportunity cost.

I finally set out on my journey to travel across India, leaving the safe haven that had been my family’s home in Vadodara.

First stop was Udaipur, dubbed the most romantic city in India.  It certainly was stunning, particularly as the monsoon had filled the lakes.  I would love to show you a photo, but I can’t because my brand new camera stopped working.  I didn’t drop it, or put it in water… quite simply one day it worked fine and the next day it was dead.

As I wandered through Udaipur, I actually found myself getting more and more upset that I couldn’t capture the moment.  Almost to the point where it was actually inhibiting my enjoyment of this stunning town. I am not an expert photographer, I just like to fiddle with a camera and take some snapshots from my travels. So why was I letting my lack of camera, ruin my experience of such a beautiful place?

My next stop was Amritsar, the city of the Golden Temple.  As I prepared to board my train to Amritsar, I felt heavy because I knew I would not be able to capture the sun shining off the temple.  Instead I would just have to burn the image to my memory and hope I could do it justice over the years.

Rather than put myself through that, I rang another cousin who lives in Delhi and cancelled my ticket to Amritsar.  I hopped off the train in Delhi and am now parked here for at least a week whilst my camera (hopefully) gets fixed.

This has put a blip on my travel plans.  I had been so looking forward to getting my traveling boots back on and exploring some new places, fresh air and hopefully cooler weather in the north.  Instead, I am (quite comfortably) sitting around Delhi in the middle of monsoon.  Whilst I can and will see lots of different things here, I have been to Delhi before and seen the major sights. My family is wonderful, but right now I would prefer to be on my own exploring new things.

Of course, nothing is stopping me from getting back on a train to Amritsar and continuing on.  I can always pick up my camera at a later date. For some reason I find myself paralysed though.  I would rather lose a week or two of travelling, than risk being on the road without my camera, just in case I miss an amazing shot.

Crazy but true!  Especially for someone who  isn’t a great photographer.  It’s not like I will look at these photos everyday or win awards for them.

So have I made the right choice, or am I missing out some experiences of a lifetime, all on the off-chance I will get a photo that is even better than the actual memory.


Comments

8 responses to “Opportunity Cost: Travel for travel’s sake or is it all about getting a good photo?”

  1. […] Opportunity Cost:  Travel for Travel’s sake or is it all about getting a good photo from Aussie Girl over at aussiegirlinindia. […]

  2. I feel your pain, but let it go! I have to agree with Jess. Increasingly, I can’t believe how many people are more concerned with filming concerts on phones, rather than just kicking back and getting in to the moment (Fleetwood Mac or The Pretenders, anyone?!) Instead of getting worked up about it, enjoy the freedom of not being chained to yet another gadget. You write so well, that you will be able to perfectly and vividly explain to us what you observe. Let your memories be your camera and your words your album.

  3. I love using my camera but hadn’t taken any photos for a couple of weeks and went to turn it on over the weekend. No response, which I thought must just be flat batteries, but that didn’t fix it. Tried lots of things before I turned up at the Canon service centre yesterday. The guys put the batteries I had just taken out of it back in just to check and…. It worked, who knows if it will continue to work I hope it will because I love it and don’t really need a new one but would like a bigger screen. Enjoy the break.

  4. Makes me think I will need to upgrade my camera before my trip to India next year :).
    I love taking photos and call myself a snapographer but secretly would love to be legit.
    Can’t wait to see all those amazing sites and take some of it home with me.

  5. Rachael Avatar
    Rachael

    I remember being in India and seeing some amazing sights including those incredible sunrises and sunsets. Thing is I was alone and wanted to be alone but at the same time I really wished I had someone to share these moments with. I guess that’s one reason why a camera is so important – especially for the lone traveller! I think you made the right choice. The sun will still rise and set and the temples aren’t going anywhere anytime soon 😉

    Happy snappy travels!

  6. I remember getting frustrated in Paris as I watched all the tourits walk up, snap and walk off again, without spending any time just ‘being’ in the moment. I also find it annoying when I go to gigs and people film the whole thing on their smartphones. Just enjoy it while you’re there! That said, I have a fancy camera and I like to take photos, so I understand why you’d want to get your camera fixed. It’s a balance!

  7. Thanks TM. I enjoyed writing it, and I will enjoy it more when I can show you all some more photos of my journeys

  8. I can totally relate to this. Sometimes I am very conscious that these days I often see my world through the lens of my camera. I am aware than in some circles it’s considered a major life failing to want to photograph everything and that there’s supposedly some greater authenticity in just experiencing things without recording them. Well, whatever. I get a lot of fun from sharing photos, and even more fun from from looking back at them. It’s pretty harmless fun. I reckon all the amazing places will still be there in a week or two when you get your camera back and as long as you don’t go stir crazy you can quite happily stay put and watch the rain while you wait.

    Thanks so much for participating in the blog hop! I really enjoyed this contribution and I reckon the Tortoise Tales regulars will too 😀

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