WIRED has published a video exploring the topic of photography’s impact on humans, particularly selfies and the impact photographing moments can have on one’s experience and memories. The video touches on topics ranging from anxiety over one’s appearance caused by distortion in selfies to ways photographing scenes both improves and impairs memories of the moment.
WIRED senior editor Peter Rubin talked with multiple professionals as part of the video, including facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Boris Paskhover, who explained that over the last few years, a number of patients have expressed concerns with the size of their nose based on how it appears in selfies. Dr. Paskhover previously published a study analyzing the selfie distortion effect.
In addition to the potential insecurity caused by selfies, the video also looked at the effect photographing scenes, such as a meal or concert, may have on the photographer. As part of this, Rubin talked with Alixandra Barasch, a marketing professor at NYU, who highlighted potential positives and negatives associated with taking pictures, a topic about which she’d previously published a study.
According to Barasch, photography can have a negative impact on the photographer’s memory of primarily non-visual aspects of the moment, such as sound and taste, but provide a more engaged, immersive feeling in primarily observational experiences. Barasch recommended sharing images after the experience was over, however, to avoid growing distracted and anxious by the social platform.
Finally, Rubin conducted an experiment with professional photographer Chris Burkard, who joined Rubin in wearing eye-tracking glasses to compare what he looked at versus a non-professional. The results, though deviating from the topic of photography’s impact on the people taking pictures, were interesting nonetheless.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)