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What is the most beautiful place[br]you have ever been?

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And, when you were there,[br]did you take a picture of it?

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Here's a place that tops that list for me.

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This is Mesa Arch

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in Canyonlands National Park[br]in Utah at sunrise.

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It's the traditional homeland

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of the Pueblo, Ute,[br]Paiute and Navajo people,

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and when you are there,

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it is absolutely stunning.

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The sunrise illuminates[br]the bottom of the arch orange,

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and then behind it you see the buttes[br]and clouds and cliffs.

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But, what you might now see[br]from my photo here

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is the 30 people behind me[br]who are also taking photos,

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and these are just the committed people,[br]the sunrise people, right?

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So when you think about that,

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there must be hundreds if not thousands[br]of photos of Mesa Arch taken every week.

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I've been sharing my photography[br]on Instagram for years,

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and it started to become[br]really interesting and funny even

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just how many similar photos[br]of the same places

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I've started to see online.

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And I was participating in it.

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So this made me wonder,

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why are we taking photos[br]in the first place?

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Sometimes I visit a popular landmark --

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this one is Horseshoe Bend in Arizona --

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and I see all the people[br]with their phones and cameras out

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who snap a photo

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just to turn and get back in the car,[br]walk back to the trailhead.

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And sometimes it seems like

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we are missing the point

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of going to this place[br]to experience it for ourselves

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or to see it with our own eyes.

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When I'm behind the camera,

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I notice the smallest details:

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the layers of light in the mountains

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as the light fades at the end of the day;

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the shapes that nature so expertly makes,

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abstract and yet completely perfect.

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I could go on and on here musing[br]about the intricacies of this planet

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and the way that it makes me feel.

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Photographing the beauty[br]and complexity of this world

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for me is like making a portrait[br]of someone that I love,

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and when I make a photograph,

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I have to think about[br]what I want it to say.

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I have to ask myself[br]what I want it to feel like.

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When you're communicating[br]through an image,

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every creative choice matters.

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Sometimes, I plan to share my images,

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and other times I take them[br]just for myself.

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I currently host a video series[br]on the future of the outdoors,

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and for one of the episodes[br]we wanted to explore

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the relationship between[br]photography and outdoor spaces.

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I learned about the research[br]of Kristin Diehl and her colleagues at USC

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who studied photo-taking's[br]effect on enjoyment levels.

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They found that, when we were[br]behind the camera,

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when we're the ones taking the picture,

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we enjoy our experiences more, not less.

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But it wasn't true all the time.

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If the person took the photo[br]solely with the intention of sharing it,

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there was no increase in enjoyment,

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because they didn't do it for themselves.

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So this points to[br]an important distinction:

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photography can enhance your experience

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if it's done intentionally.

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The intention piece is what matters.

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As a photographer, I've really[br]had to check myself on this.

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When does it help me[br]to have my camera out?

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And when do I just need to put it away?

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On a trip to Alaska, I had the opportunity[br]to photograph Alaskan brown bears.

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I was on a boat with[br]four other photographers,

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and we were all having our minds blown

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at the same time

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in such close proximity to these animals.

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And it's an emotional experience.

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Being eye to eye with these bears[br]gave me a feeling of connection

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that transcends words,

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and having my camera with me[br]in this case enhanced that.

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We were all creating independently,[br]but also all completely in the moment,

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both with nature and with each other.

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I so clearly remember capturing[br]the water droplets

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and the motion as the bears swam

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and the cute cubs following their mothers.

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That group and I will have[br]that experience together

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and these images to look back on[br]time and time again,

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and photography is what enabled us[br]to share this in the first place.

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Other times, I choose[br]to leave the camera behind,

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and I think that choice ultimately[br]improves both my experience

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and my work.

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I recently flew to[br]the South Pacific island of Tonga

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to swim with humpback whales.

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I noticed myself feeling pressure

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and a certain obligation[br]to take the camera with me,

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when sometimes I just wanted[br]the pure experience itself.

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And the experience is seriously amazing.

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You're talking about being in the water

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with a curious baby animal[br]the size of a station wagon

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while you are surrounded by particles[br]that float around you like glitter

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and the mom swims gracefully below you.

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There were times, obviously,[br]when I did take my camera with me,

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and those were really amazing[br]to capture as well,

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but the set-up is pretty big.

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It's like this big box.[br]This is what it looks like.

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And so this is between me and the whales,

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and at times that feels like a block[br]between you and reality.

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Is there a difference[br]when it's just your phone?

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Last year I went to Ularu[br]in central Australia,

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which is this massive rock[br]that towers over the desert.

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This is sacred land to Anangu,

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who are the Aboriginal[br]people from this area

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and the traditional owners of the land.

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There are particular spots in Ularu[br]that you cannot photograph professionally

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because they are culturally sensitive,

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equivalent to sacred scripture to Anangu.

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So because of this, most of my photographs[br]are from either far away, like this one,

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or from specific angles in the park.

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You could say that some of the most[br]interesting and beautiful visuals in Ularu

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are located in these sensitive areas,

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but the request not to photograph them[br]is an explicit and direct invitation

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to learn more about the land,[br]its importance, and its people.

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Isn't that what we should be doing anyway?

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So my visit to Ularu[br]quickly became not about me

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but about connecting with the place.

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Ironically and unsurprisingly,

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I have found that presence and connection

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also happens to make[br]for more compelling images.

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We can probably all point to social media

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as being a good place to share the images[br]from our travels and from our lives.

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We not only share pieces[br]of the world that we have seen,

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but also parts of our[br]day-to-day experiences,

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and if we're applying intentionality[br]to the photos we take,

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then hopefully we're sharing[br]intentionally too.

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For me, allowing people to see pieces[br]of my story and my perspective online

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has reminded me that I'm not alone.

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It's helped me build support and community

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to do the same for others.

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Let me be clear:

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I am not trying to discourage you[br]from taking photos.

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Even if thousands of people[br]have been to whatever exact location

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and taken whatever exact photo,

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I encourage you to get out and create too.

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The world needs every[br]voice and perspective,

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and yours is included.

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But what I'm trying to show you[br]is that the phone or camera

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doesn't have to stay out all the time.

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What I'm trying to encourage you to do

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is to put it away, just for a moment,

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a moment for you.

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So let's go back to Mesa Arch,

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the way that the rock glows orange

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and the lovely layers of blue[br]in the background.

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What if the next time[br]you were somewhere amazing,

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you couldn't bring your camera or phone?

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What if you were not allowed[br]to take any pictures at all?

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Would it feel like a limitation?

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Or, would it feel like a relief?

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So what can we do?

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Well, the next time you feel the impulse[br]to take out your camera or phone,

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or, in my case, once you realize[br]you have already pulled it out,

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first, stop, pause,

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take a deep breath,

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look around. What do you notice?

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Are you experiencing[br]this moment with someone else?

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Remember that this moment only comes once.

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Photography can be part[br]of a beautiful experience.

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Just don't let it be a block[br]between you and reality.

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Be intentional,

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and don't lose a beautiful,[br]irreplaceable memory

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because you were too focused[br]on getting the shot.

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Thank you.

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(Applause)