Put the camera away and enjoy the moment. Or so they say.

Certainly, there are moments when we should drop everything and just take it all in, especially when there's interaction with other people.

And there's no better way to worsen the experience than sharing the pictures right away, while you are still in that moment. That's why I don't like phones for photography.

A standalone camera, though, will never take you away from the moment. It will only enrich it.

It makes the experience better because it is through the camera that we try to find what makes a moment especial, a face beautiful, a place memorable. We examine what we have in front of us through the camera, and see things we wouldn't have otherwise. It makes us pay closer attention.

This is the gift photography gives us: a tool to see what we weren't able to see before.