Gray’s Anatomy – Remember your leisure time pre-Instagram?

© Richard Gray – ‘Books: I remember them’

So I embarked on a chilling story of politics, horrific combat and military strategy. It is a great read. But it took me about 2 months. As the old joke goes: “I’m writing this slowly because I know you’re not a fast reader” I’m not a fast reader. But it’s an achievement to have read a book from cover to cover at all these days. I don’t think I’d read another book since…. March 20, 2011. That’s the day I started on Instagram. Like, I’m sure, many of you reading this, it wouldn’t be too much of an exaggeration to say that Instagram now dominates a big chunk of my leisure time. Taking photos, apping images and then chatting about them (and other people’s) online: it takes up a lot of my time.

So what else has moved aside? I cancelled my Sky Sports subscription. I’d started nodding off during the matches. I hardly watch any TV at all now. I take a newspaper with me when I get on the tube, but someone’s face usually catches my eye or there’s a recent photo I want to app up.

Books are great, but they’re still someone else’s words. Taking and apping photos, you’re on the active side. You’re not being passive. You’re creating, not consuming. Isn’t that a great thing, to be expressing yourself, to be bringing something into this world? I get a little spark of joy whenever I get a shot (or an edit) that I like – as photographers down the ages have. But with smart phone cameras, you can now get more of those sparks of joy, more of the time.