Almost sunset light, at the edge of the snow-covered pond
I have been fascinated by the light lately at
Daybreak and Sunset
Besides the stark beauty of this season I also enjoy being able to sleep in and still see the sunrise. In the morning after I wake I often look out my bedroom window and if the light is interesting, still in my nightgown, I find my camera, open the living room and dining room blinds and begin to make pictures.
In the afternoon, as I do things around the house or sit in my chair reading a book I gaze out the living room windows every so often. If the light is interesting, I stop what I’m doing and grab my camera.
The morning light is often a little pink and sometimes peachy looking and everything looks soft and glowing in that light. Often the light is more dramatic at sunset with more saturated color. But not always.
I cannot count the number of photographs that I’ve made through these windows. Still I feel that I see something new each time I look. Nothing stands still. And nothing stays the same. Whether it is the quality of the light, the loss of a tree to storm damage, or the growth of a new tree, life is in constant motion.
Are you also fascinated with daybreak and sunset light? When was the last time you paused and simply soaked in it’s beauty?
Knowing Oneself
I was reading the most recent Nicholas Sparks book, The Wish, when I found a beautiful section about learning photography. The main character in the book is a photographer so I have been enjoying the parts of the book that talk about when she was learning to make photographs. I thought I would share an excerpt that spoke to me this morning. Though this excerpt is about photography, I believe that it could apply to any artistic endeavor.
I realized over time that while almost anyone could learn to frame and compose a photo if they practiced enough, at its best photography truly was an art. An excellent photographer somehow puts their soul into their work, conveying a distinct sensibility and personal viewpoint through the picture. Two photographers shooting the same thing at the same time could produce startlingly different images, and I began to understand that the first step in taking an excellent photograph was the simple act of knowing oneself.
— Nicholas Sparks, The Wish
This paragraph really resonated with me. I feel as if the pandemic and my physical limitations have changed my sense of who I am as a photographer. Though I long to travel and photograph new places, more and more I feel drawn to photograph the mundane beauty of the world that is right outside my window. And the kind of photograph that I want to make now is one that expresses the wonder, beauty, and light that I find in the scenes right here, right now. I want to create visual poetry that moves my soul.
What do you want to create, my friends?
May you walk in beauty.
Trees on the far side of the pond, almost sunset
Morning light on trees beside our deck
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