"In the Moment"

What follows is somewhat of a stream of consciousness (for which I give my apologies), but it explores ideas that I think are pertinent to our studies.

In class last Tuesday, a classmate discussed an experience he had in which he had come across a lovely nature scene, and without thinking captured it on his camera phone and continued onward. Rather than stopping to "compose" a shot, it was all part of a continuous moment as he described it. The idea of the camera (or other device/convention) as perhaps enhancing or as part of the "experience" of a moment is an interesting prospect. The camera is of course a mediator or "means to an end" in its own way, but the question is how does this mediation remove us from the experience? Are we removing ourselves from the experience now in order to view or "experience" it later? I have found this to be true in that when I have set out to photograph something (whether it be an instant or an event), I am no longer experiencing that moment or that event per se, only in so much as I am now composing a shot or making sure that I get a "good" shot (in order to experience it later). How does this effect one's memory or experience of an event (please note that I am speaking of the pursuit of photography for pleasure or preservation, rather than the professional photographer whose purpose may be focused on getting that shot)? What my classmate spoke of was that he did not feel distanced from the experience; that he was not consciously thinking about getting the shot but that it was a continuous part of the moment. I wonder if the camera phone allows for more of that? I too have found that when I am out and about and just have my camera phone, that I may snap several shots without a thought; but if I were to have my other camera, there is almost more of a pressure for it to become an "event" to take a picture (and also pressure for a quality picture, which we may or may not expect from a camera phone). This helps us to think about various media and how they mediate or allow experience, including Internet2. Do the collaborative and simultaneous qualities inherent in Internet2 interactions allow for less "mediation" per se? How may these qualities change how Internet2 mediates experience, for the creators and the audience? In defining Internet2 as its own medium, I think it is important to explore these questions along with how this medium relates and compares to others.

Note: I hope I've captured my classmate's ideas correctly - if not please correct me! :)