Asked why he had called the camera an "infernal machine," Auden answered: "It creates sorrow. Normally, when one passes someone on the street who is in pain, one either tries to help him, or one simply looks the other way. With a photo there’s no human decision; you’re not there; you can’t turn away; you simply gape. It’s a form of voyeurism. And I think close-ups are rude."
I heartily echo his sentiments. Though perhaps less earnestly, since I do enjoy a good photograph. Assuming I'm not in it.
