Nature’s Mirror

It should be a reminder to us all, reflections that is. Yesterday as I gazed across Marsh Creek at the puffy clouds wafting high above, I couldn’t help but see their reflection in the water below. Each cloud was easily identifiable just like the greenery across the lake. It looked just like what was above, but somehow different. The water gave the view distortion from a gentle breeze that was imperceptible from the shore. It made me think about how and why I saw the world like I do. How many non perceptible forces create the lives we live? Feelings of loss or fear could cause ripples in all we perceive. Thoughts of elation or love can make the planet look different. How much of ourselves do we project onto our world? I took yesterday as a reminder that my reality could be far different from what I perceive it to be.

Nikon D800 Sigma 35mm f/1.4 @ 35mm f/9 ISO 100 1/640 sec

Evening

I’d almost forgotten about evening. It barely existed in the shortened days of Winter. Now, as Spring swells its grip on the landscape, evenings lengthen days into the gradual dark of nightfall. It’s a time to reflect, a time to recuperate, a time to enjoy the light and sounds of the waning day. It’s a time of magical warmth and beauty as it blankets our world. It’s a time to be cherished.

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 48mm f/29 ISO 100 13sec

The Quiet Peace of Dawn

Each day is birthed by the ascending Sun. Dawn is a unique and humbling moment. Anticipation of a new day glows around us on this ever spinning Earth. Breathing in our brief existence, as we imagine the endless eons of sunrises, helps us cherish our mortality. For us, each dawn is new, different, fleeting and ephemeral. We steal a glimpse of celestial grace with each passing moment, during the quiet peace of dawn.

Nikon D800 Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm f/18 ISO 100 5 image HDR

An Evening Walk

I enjoy hiking, but hiking in the Spring requires a different mindset. When I’m walking in the woods I’m usually looking for things to photograph, wildlife, vistas, sunsets, etc. That means I’m carrying gear with me. Not hiking gear if I’m out for a short walk, but heavy lenses, tripods, cases, and other paraphernalia. In the Autumn or Winter wearing protective clothing is not only essential, but comfortable. Long pants to stay warm in winter, repel poison foliage in the Spring. Hats to keep ears warm in the cold function to keep falling ticks out of my hair in the warmer bug infested forests, are just a few of the items that make Spring hiking quite a different experience. Boots become mired in mud and gook from waterlogged trails, hats become collectors of sweat, and long pants just seem like torture when shorts would be so much more comfortable. I’ll keep at it of course. Well protected and prepared. The rewards outweigh the minor inconveniences, don’t you think?

​Nikon D800 Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8 @ 16mm f/16 ISO 100 9 image HDR