I'm a big advocate of new technologies, but also very aware of the dangers of smartphones and always-connected devices in general. While they can be tools of empowerment for artists, they can also be the source of distraction.
A distracted mind can't take photos
A distracted mind is no good for any creative task. It might sound obvious in fields like writing, but I believe it also applies to photography. If your mind is distracted with random thoughts, it will show in your work.
I know because I fell into this trap many, many times. I've found myself not being able to focus on photography and I inevitably end up creating subpar work.
I believe photography should be done by being totally present in the moment, and giving your full and uncompromised attention to whatever you are trying to capture, and how it makes you feel.
Connected devices mess with your brain
I love my smartphone, tablet and computer: they are amazing tools that enable me to create my work and to share it with anyone in the world. As long as these tools serve us and not the other way around, we should embrace them.
But we all know the danger: an innocent glimpse to check the time leads to seeing that notification, and from there it's all downhill. Whatever we were doing, it's gone. We switched context, and going back to the task will require some effort. Even if we do, by now we might be thinking about that email from work, the latest Instagram story, the Twitter rant / topic of the moment, or our mom's Facebook update.
This negatively affects my photography. That's why I work so hard on limiting the ways my phone can interrupt me, and why I spend just a few minutes a day on social media.
And yet, it's something incredibly hard to achieve after years of getting my brain used to a regular dosis of instant gratification in the form of notifications, checking email, the latest news, trying to figure why that package is taking so long, or whatever gives my mind its fix of dopamine.
Read to focus
The way to heal our brains from this disease is to find activities that encourage long periods of intense focus. Reading is one of them.
It is said that reading changes the way we think, makes us more creative, improves our memory, problem solving and insight. It can also help you rebuild and increase your attention span because it requires you to focus on the text, to understand it, and to ignore everything else around you.
I've been reading a lot lately. At first, it was extremely hard to do for more than a few minutes: random thoughts would come up from nowhere, I'd get distracted by anything, and I had to fight the temptation of checking my phone. The result is that I had to re-read whole pages multiple times, and even then, I knew I wasn't really processing what I was reading.
I kept pushing, though, and now I can read for much longer without getting distracted, absorbing more of what I'm reading. Some thoughts still come up, but I'm able to dismiss and stay focused. My phone stays away while I read, so the urge to check it has gone away.
Reading is good for photography
This (re-found) skill is already helping me when it comes to tasks like writing: I find myself being able to sit down and write for much longer than before.
Unfortunately and since I can't get out, I haven't been able to test it with my photography. In the meantime, I'm going to keep reading and getting better, so those trees, mountains and cliffs can have my full attention once I get to photograph them again.
If you feel like you've lost your ability to focus, or have seen your attention span decreased, I'd encourage you to start reading.