We went to the holiday concert for our elementary school last week. I actually DIDN'T take any cameras with me. After 7 years of concerts, I have found that A) the photos never turn out that great in the dark auditorium from 20 rows back and B) I never do anything with them anyway. So, I decided just to enjoy the concert.
Being camera free gave me the chance to view the "Mamarazzi". A "Mamarazzi" is a mother with a camera who is out to get the "Money Shot" - the one photo that makes people stop and gasp when they see it on a scrapbook page. The "Mamarazzi" will go to great lengths for that shot.
You could hardly see the concert for the glow of the cameras being held overhead to try to get a shot without the head of the person in front of them. One Mamarazzi crawled over 8 people from the center of a row (and these are not well-spaced rows - you literally have to crawl over people to get out) so she could stand in the aisle through half of the last song and take photos. Of course, that blocked the view of people behind her (and violated the fire code for the civic auditorium). When she was satisfied with her shots, instead of respectfully waiting until the last song was over, she crawled BACK over the top of people to get back to her seat. It was really obnoxiously rude.
I have pretty much stepped away from bordering on a Mamarazzi lately. I have come to realize that I don't need to take my camera to EVERY soccer game. I only took it to ONE this year - took a bunch of great shots and then spent the rest of the season enjoying the game. I left it home and enjoyed the concert, too. It's been kind of liberating. I have plenty of photos to scrapbook and I'm starting to realize I don't need to document every second of my kids' lives to be a good mother. I was nearly to the point where I was watching them grow up in a little window on my camera.
But, like the Mamarazzi, we are all in a quest for that PERFECT shot - the kid diving for the ball, splashing into a pool, doing the perfect leap, smiling the best smile. It's what drives us as scrapbookers at times. But sometimes, we need to remember we already have 300 shots of them dancing and it's time to get down to business and scrap the photos we already have and stop worrying about the photos we might be missing.
Being camera free gave me the chance to view the "Mamarazzi". A "Mamarazzi" is a mother with a camera who is out to get the "Money Shot" - the one photo that makes people stop and gasp when they see it on a scrapbook page. The "Mamarazzi" will go to great lengths for that shot.
You could hardly see the concert for the glow of the cameras being held overhead to try to get a shot without the head of the person in front of them. One Mamarazzi crawled over 8 people from the center of a row (and these are not well-spaced rows - you literally have to crawl over people to get out) so she could stand in the aisle through half of the last song and take photos. Of course, that blocked the view of people behind her (and violated the fire code for the civic auditorium). When she was satisfied with her shots, instead of respectfully waiting until the last song was over, she crawled BACK over the top of people to get back to her seat. It was really obnoxiously rude.
I have pretty much stepped away from bordering on a Mamarazzi lately. I have come to realize that I don't need to take my camera to EVERY soccer game. I only took it to ONE this year - took a bunch of great shots and then spent the rest of the season enjoying the game. I left it home and enjoyed the concert, too. It's been kind of liberating. I have plenty of photos to scrapbook and I'm starting to realize I don't need to document every second of my kids' lives to be a good mother. I was nearly to the point where I was watching them grow up in a little window on my camera.
But, like the Mamarazzi, we are all in a quest for that PERFECT shot - the kid diving for the ball, splashing into a pool, doing the perfect leap, smiling the best smile. It's what drives us as scrapbookers at times. But sometimes, we need to remember we already have 300 shots of them dancing and it's time to get down to business and scrap the photos we already have and stop worrying about the photos we might be missing.
3 comments:
Gee, I am also a Mamarazzi/scrapbooker and you are right I have tons of photos and I am viewing my children through the lens. I am going to talk your advice and enjoy this holiday season.
Melina
I was at a concert the day before Thanksgiving. It was one of my favorite artists. Her songs have helped me get through some amazing hard times. It was a small intimate setting. And throughout the show there were fans running up and down the aisles to get that one shot of her on our side of the stage..I kept chuckling and thinking of this post..And wondering what the etticut (Sp) was for this.
I think of you often..But too afraid to post who I am..
But know you and your family are prayed for, talked about (in good ways) and loved.
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