Planting seeds
Sunrise is about 2 hours away when my alarm wakes me up. Gather the gear, hoping not to leave some critical piece behind, and head out to whatever location is calling to me today. Maybe its planned, maybe just a whim to see what there is to see. Weather seems good, good light in the forecast, and the elements of nature as my muse. What will it be today? Macro? Wildlife? Landscapes? Artistic? Hard to say in advance sometimes. I am hoping the place will tell me.
The fact is, it is rare that I don’t utter the words in the title of this post upon arriving anywhere, somewhere. It doesn’t matter the place or time of year. It’s as if I am trying to poke my subconscious to bring forth something original. I mean, heck, nature photography should be wide open with so much subject matter it should make your head explode. But my inner judge kicks in – I have seen that before, been there, done that or I am just not “feelin’ it.” Excuses come to mind – too green, too ordinary, too harsh, too ho-hum, too boring. What am I not seeing? Nature certainly can be very subtle in the way she speaks to you.
This is often a hurdle for me when I am out photographing – an internal pressure that I fight. Throw in other elements like distractions, moods, headaches, tiredness, weather, bugs and the hurdle just seems to grow significantly taller. It’s a struggle between the part that just wants to enjoy being there and the other part that feels the need to create something to show that enjoyment and appreciation.
Too often I tell myself just to relax, it’s just a walk in the woods. If something is there worth photographing, you will find it, or it just wasn’t meant to be. Are fate and inspiration so intertwined? Well, certainly being there is the start.
Oh I think we can all relate. *sigh* Yup. Sometimes when I’m out I jsut have to pause, put the camera down, and remember how to enjoy the spot without a camera. lol. Love the acorn 🙂
That’s how I treat it–as a hike with possible benefits. That way I’m never disappointed. 🙂
From the back row…Amen, Amen! Extremely well expressed, Mark. 😉
Very thoughtful post. I can relate to some of the feelings that you describe.
Daniel
Read it and I thought it was me…except that you explained it so much better than I could have!
I was giving out some tips the other day and the big one was “show up”. I am constantly amazed at the truly remarkable things I see just by going out. Sure part of it is training your eye to see the remarkable in the ordinary, but a big part is putting yourself in the position to be able to witness it. I may not always come home with a shot of the most remarkable thing I saw, but by being there I know it exists, which keeps me coming back and helps me become more attuned to what is around me.
I think you speak for many creatives with this post Mark. I have never been fond of the “right place, right time” notion. I think it always comes down to “inspiration” or maybe more so even, being able to have an emotional response to something, anything, and then being creative about expressing it.
Wonderful post, Mark. I recently started teaching a creative landscape photography class. I can testify that the greatest challenge most photographers face when it comes to thinking and seeing creatively is this sense of “feeling it” that you describe.
Guy
What a choice topic and well stated. The subliminal messages enroute to a location are many, yet once the clicking of the shutter starts I imagine all photographers get lost in the creative moments and the early hour, long drive or biting insects become a part of the beautiful journey of artistry.
Thanks for your words.
Excellent posting Mark. You just quantified my typical sentiments precisely. The mind often amplifies small issues into bigger problems, making it difficult to get started (especially in the early hours of the morning). Arriving at a location and picking a trail to go down–any trail—makes all the difference in the world. All of those issues typically melt away for me.
“Being there” is certainly a good start, but “being in the flow” is even better, if you can pull it off. It really helps when you can bring yourself into the present moment, from a witness perspective, feeling carefree with nature’s bounty.