Can I compare going to Ed Sheeran's concert to attending a wedding ceremony? Yes, I can. With this blog I’ve only posted two photos from the concert. The first one is a delightful shot of the toilet and the second is a half-dead cow - which was amazing.
My camera was tucked away in my front pocket for four hours, so I was able to enjoy the opening acts before the gingerbread man came on stage (how can one head-bang and air-guitar to The Darkness with a phone in one hand?).
Four gins down and a bottle of wine in my plastic ‘Ed cup’, the boy from Suffolk entered the arena - but my phone was still in my pocket. As he kicked off with Castle on the Hill, at least 20,000 (out of 40,000) fans enjoyed the song through their screens. The distraction is beyond a nuisance. Looking around, the two girls in front of me were facing backwards, taking an unnecessary amount of selfies and then spending the rest of the song uploading them to every social media platform you could think of. Why pay £87 for a ticket when all you care about are the ‘likes’?
So, this comes back to weddings and ceremonies… put down the fucking phone. Your son, daughter, nephew, cousin, niece, brother, sister, mum, dad or friend has invited you to share in what they consider the most amazing day of their life and all you want to do is get that first photo on Facebook. “Hey, look at me, look at my outfit, my new hairstyle, my new handbag, my new shoes.” Put the phone away and take it in with your own eyes.
Now, as a business, I need to update my portfolio via Instagram and Facebook. But as far as my personal portfolio goes, no one needs to see me striving for the perfect angle. How can I make a garden gnome with a ginger beard, a tummy and a pair of man boobs look good anyway? Unless you all drink a bottle of gin with me...
We used to take pictures when they meant something. Now, we flood our timelines with pictures of secondhand moments, all so that we can feel good when the likes come flooding in.
This is my message to Uncle Bob with his ridiculous selfie stick, Mum with her iPad or Fred with the latest Samsung: be in the moment and take in the experience while leaving the pros to document the event.