Photo phones

Standing in front of the St. Michel fountain, just down the road a piece from Notre Dame with Llara as we waited for our hostess, I noticed that there were thousands (okay maybe 20) cell phones in the air. I suspect that Llara and I are will be in hundreds of photos snapped by the phones. The same thing happened at the Florian Pagny concert as he wandered through the audience. Phones replaced swaying lighters.

The photo taking is replacing the endless chats on phones. BBC did a program on the citizen reporters. They have used the cell phone photos on every breaking story. They also reported that Americans are not using the technology as much, but I haven’t been there to verify.

My phone is so old that it doesn’t even text. I can’t play games, It hasn’t got email. Maybe someday I will replace it, but I still have a love-hate relationship with it. I only want to use it when I am lost, late, or need a taxi. I don’t want people calling me on it.

The photo aspect is nice IF one liked taking photos. I seldom think to take photos at all and I don’t miss them. In fact I haven’t even bothered to download some I took well over two years ago. This goes back to my stint as a cub reporter/photographer at 16 when I had an old fahioned Graphflex that was 25% of my body weight. Because it was so heavy most photos had motion because I couldn't hold the camera still. And we won't mention the time I asked James Garner to light a match so I could take his picture. That one came out really terribly.

However, I even if I don’t want to use it, the technology is wonderful.