Today I have a little lesson for you. It's something I had to remind myself about yesterday. This lesson is about enjoying nature. I write this blog partially because of nature. I use nature to help myself relax. Recently I've had a problem with all of this though.This problem hasn't been a big one. It's just something that began to creep up on me. As soon as I noticed, I had to stop it before it ever became something for me to be very concerned about. What was the problem? I wasn't letting myself relax while I was looking at nature.
If you just let it happen, you'll relax just by walking in the forest. I had been forgetting to let that happen. I routinely go out to a few nature parks and take pictures of anything I like. As I take my pictures, I enjoy my surroundings and let my stress from the day melt away. This hasn't been happening quite as much lately though.I've actually been taking more pictures than ever, but I've found myself going for only the pictures. I began to realize that I've been stalking the creatures of the forest like a cat. I did this for the pictures. This method actually works pretty well, but not when you go into predator mode as soon as you get to the nature preserve.
I've been noticing this more and more over the past week. You know what my results were? Places where I used to hear the sounds of life all around me were now very quiet. The animals had started to hide from me. They knew I was hunting them.
I was also ignoring all of the beauty around me. The main thing that mattered was what I could shoot with my camera. With nothing to shoot at, nature was becoming frustrating for me. Then even my abilities with the camera began to suffer. I was even becoming a little angry with my failure to get any results.Yesterday right in the middle of a hike, with no animals anywhere in sight, I stopped and realized what I was doing. I mean it! I literally stopped right there. I reminded myself why I was really out there. I didn't care if I got any pictures at all. I was out there to enjoy the beauty of nature, and to let myself relax. You know, it worked!
I looked at my surroundings for the first time in awhile. I had almost forgotten the beauty of the forest. I have always loved this place. The forest is like my own fortress of solitude. It's my place to hide from the rest of the world. It brings peace to my mind when I'm there. That peace was now back!
As this happened I noticed something else too. The animals came back! They had been as tense as I was. They had been waiting to see what this hunter was going to do to them. Now they were welcoming back a long lost family member. With all of this renewed happiness, I decided to stay out there for much longer than usual.I stayed out on my trails most of the day. I decided to forget everything else for that time. As a result, I was physically exhausted when I got home. This was actually a very good thing. I did let a few things go though. For instance, this blog had to wait for just a little while. I like to answer all of the comments here, but I haven't done that yet. I haven't visited anyone else yet. I also write these posts in the evening, but I'm writing this one the in the next morning right when I usually schedule it to show up.
This was temporary. I won't back off from anything here. I'll only be remembering the real reason I like doing this. This is to help me relax. For anyone else, let this be a lesson for you too. Don't forget to relax. Don't let this become a tedious job. Have fun while you're visiting nature, however you do it. That's all.
Ratty, it will come back in time believe me! I went through the same exact thing. I no longer noticed the beauty around me with my own eye and I used my camera eye instead which is a lot more discriminating.
ReplyDeleteIt stopped after a while and I do try and focus on the nature around me and the peace, but sometimes I still stress. I think many of us bloggers who use photos for our posting do the same.
Hope you have some RELAXING nature walks this weekend.
Hi, I'm glad to hear you got it worked out and the animals came back. I find now, when I go out I notice so much more stuff because I'm always thinking about what would make a nice shot. I saw an oyster cather this morning standing in the mud in my local river and also a huge seagull with loads of seaweed hanging from his beak- just walking to work through town! I never would have noticed that before I got my camera. However, I did feel the stress, as I didn't have my camera with me.... by the way, I love that photo with of tree with the fungus on- it is extremely cool.
ReplyDeleteRatty chill out nature is all around us and its free, sometimes we see things sometimes we don't. I think being there is what really matters along with caring for what we have been given
ReplyDeleteThat was so well said and beautifully written. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean Ratty. Even though I can't get out there with nature, I view it from my window. I would always worry that I didn't have my camera nearby if some bird or animal came near enough to get a photo of. I had to learn to just sit there sometimes and watch them, without taking their photos. I watched the two fox out there last night without trying to get photos. I got enough earlier that evening. It's fun to watch them. Same for all the critters I see. But I wouldn't want to miss a shot at a strange bird! Ha! Ha! Good post Ratty!!
ReplyDeleteThat's a lesson for me to remember! We got caught up with beautiful things to share that sometimes we forgot to pay attention to how we feel or where we are..Thanks Ratty!
ReplyDeleteGood for you, Ratty. Enjoy yourself, it is the reason you are driven to go there. Wow, those bright green new leaves are beautiful aren't they? Look how different the scene looks from your winter ones!
ReplyDeleteI find that sometimes I have to look at details (rocks, water, bugs in the sand beside me)in order to love the "big scene".
You take your time to enjoy nature and only post things when you want to. You don't even have to post everyday, maybe that is what is putting pressure on you. Maybe you should go out one day with the purpose of just relaxing, bringing your camera only for the extraordinary happenstance that you see something you would have regretted not taking. Then, the next day, go out with the purpose of your blog in mind. Alternating this way and posting only every other day may make it better for you? Don't worry, we will all be here when you do post!
Do the right thing or do the thing right, is always disturbing.
ReplyDeleteYou may have found out what is the right thing, just stick to it, and you'll enjoy.
Do the thing right may suffocate us as we keep struggling to do the wrong thing right. I have put aside the camera these few days when I have my jogging session. I may miss out one or two things but there is no regret.
thanks for sharing your lesson, i heard this from a friend too who shared his frustration over his photography and nature pursuits. i guess it could happen when we do forget to enjoy the beauty around us and also when our standard is raised higher. i do bring my camera when i hike because i do not want to miss the special moments i would see. but i only take it out when i see something special or unique to me. i usually take pictures on the way back, when i am in the cooling down mode, it is not because i wanted to reach the end of the trail sooner for i believe every step of the trail is part of the journey, but i try to just enjoy the scenery first. however, there were a lot of instances as well i felt sorry for when on my way back, the conditions have changes, like the clouds have disappeared, the lighting is not as dramatic anymore, etc. now, i teach myself to stop sometimes to take picture of what i see while hiking that i am afraid will not be there when i go back. we do learn, i guess our nature escapes teach us a lot of things.
ReplyDeleteKallen - I didn't really even notice there was anything wrong until I found the solution. As soon as I realized what was happening, I stopped and reminded myself the real reason I was walking in the woods.
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Bemused - You understand there is a delicate balance to maintain between enjoyment of nature with and without the camera. I was drifting towards only the camera but no enjoyment, so I snapped myself back.
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Mike - I was out today and I saw nothing of note for the camera, but I still enjoyed myself greatly.
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Mountain Woman - Thanks. This was another post that I thought needed to be written.
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Ginnymo - I've actually decided to begin taking my camera with me more often. The main thing is that I also take my enjoyment of nature with me too. And I try not to be disappointed if I do miss something.
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Icy BC - Exactly! It's important to enjoy things for ourselves before we share them with others. Otherwise, how can they enjoy them?
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The Retired One - Actually, I have to hold myself back from posting several times a day. I've already fixed things. It wasn't really a big problem, but it could have turned into one. I caught it before it became trouble for me.
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Rainfield - One of your posts is what helped me realize that I needed to relax. I noticed a few days ago that I was taking bad pictures because I was moving too fast.
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Betchai - I learned that I have to balance enjoyment and skill with the camera. I can do both, but I have to remember both. I was forgetting the enjoyment a little bit.
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Great comments from everyone today. Thanks!
Thanks for the excellent article. Nature is a great teacher, if we pay attention :)
ReplyDeleteTiger - That's right. There is much to learn, and it's important to remember that.
ReplyDeleteSigh...I was just mulling over the same thing...for a brief moment...as I watched a young girl point her camera at a pink tree blossom in Harrybrooke...while her younger twin sisters and mother continued walking...I wanted to say: no, your camera will never capture/cherish/consider the picture better than your eye...I know...please, catch up to your family...keep walking...but as a mother and teacher, I have learned that it is alright for my words to land on deaf ears...and trust that they will re-surface at the right time one day...keep walking...keep walking...
ReplyDeleteYou made me smile with this one! THis is so true.
ReplyDeleteDiane KQ - It's possible the young girl already realized the importance of the blossom and didn't want to lose it. Hopefully she understood that the memory might be more important that only a picture. Maybe the others needed to slow down for her just a little bit. Then they all could find the delicate balance that's necessary to enjoy nature to the fullest.
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Julia - Yeah, it's something that I had begun to forget, but I caught myself just in time.