Snap to Focus

It’s hard to make a great photo on a phone.

I still buy pro compact cameras and My favorite is the Ricoh GR. It’s about the size of a wallet and takes SLR-quality photos.

A good pro compact has a feature called Snap to Focus. It jumps to a preset focus as soon as the trigger is pulled. In practice, it means missing fewer shots of my wily children.

It’s a great feature but even a better metaphor…

As I was complaining to Nellie about some workplace politics, she hit me with a perfect technical corollary:

You’re not always angry but you Snap to Focus on things that make you angry. Regardless of your mood, you can jump to the exact level of angry you were the last time you were there.

Admittedly, it ruined the feature. I couldn’t use it without being reminded of my sad humanity. But I recovered and remembered that Snap to Focus is configurable.

Right now, my Snap to Focus is set on something that isn’t happy, healthy, or powerful. But I choose where I Snap to Focus.

I can Snap to Focus on things I hate or I can Snap to Focus on things I love. If — like my favorite camera — Snap to Focus is a feature of my humanity, how can I make it a useful one?

Where do you Snap to Focus?

📸 chan