| June 13, 2007 | |||||||||||||||||
| "What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, he master calls a butterfly." Richard Back, "Illusions" | |||||||||||||||||
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| Current Online Exhibit - See more of my Nature Club current photos | |||||||||||||||||
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| My thoughts in the Field: Several times I attempted to write down on paper my thoughts as I observe wildlife. The other day, specifically, while photographing a heron rookery in Illinois (photos to come after another shoot or two as I observe the growth of the nestlings) I got out paper and pen and as I looked down to my paper to write, things happened. I put down my pen and disgarded the paper. I took out my recorder and as soon as I prepared to speak I needed my hands on the shutter! What I realized more than anything is that my notes are all stored like photographs in my heart, my head, the very soul of who I am. I translate them mostly through the passion for what I do, through my photographs. I do however, wish to convey, through the written art of poetry and composition what it is that happens out there, in Nature - The birds and mammals that I photograph live in the moment. I found it ironic that in a desire to "be" - to sit for 5 hours with herons - that I found myself driving in "rush hour" traffic at 6am in Northern Illinois. I wait at a stop light for it to turn green to red to green again at least 15 times before I get past it, just to get to another red light - to wait again for the light to turn green to red to green, another 15 times. Hmm, I thought I felt myself feeling impatient to GET TO where it was that I wanted to "be". - When I finally cross Hwy 45 from Hwy 120 I breathe a sign of relief. .. Here I am at "work" - watching adult herons bringing food back to the young nestlings ... (stay tuned for photos in the next Nature Club Newsletter!) Making pictures is an art that for me requires patience. But more than patience is the love and passion for wildlife and nature. Passion for anything in life is what makes a person seamlessly seem to succeed at what they were "born" to do. Success to me means happiness. If a person is happy money follows (this is where patience also enters - it doesn't usually happen immediately, almost as if testing and crafting one's character). If one is happy they are healthy in spirit. If one is not happy, no matter how much money they have - success lacks a place within the heart. So as I sit to make pictures I do more observing than anything. In observation I am "lost" in time. My friend Bill Braaken, from Cable Nature Lodge, calls that the "flow". I watch patterns. I find that it takes roughly 20 minutes for Nature to "settle in" after I have interupted the space. Then things start to happen. Nature resumes activity and I become part of the environment - accepted in. I let animals come to me. Often they are curious - especially mammals, but birds too. I sit back and watch, make pictures, watch some more. I learn the patterns of Nature when I observe and watch over and over. Routines become more apparant to me and I make better pictures of action and behavior as I begin to know and understand my (subjects) friends. My best images often are made after frequenting a location - familiarity on my part of the subject and the subject familiarity with me all play a part in making better pictures and subsequently great fine art images. The best part of making images of Nature is not just about getting to know my subjects well ... the best part is the recognition of how much my subjects teach me about myself. |
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