Can you feel it? Spring is in the air! The monstrous 6’ snowdrift in front of my office window is shrinking! And three starlings showed up in my yard yesterday. Both sure signs spring is on its way.
For many photographers, winter was a time to dig through their image library / archives, edit and cull. It’s so much easier to stay inside and get things done when it’s cold and blustery out. Of course, that’s when I typically like to head out with my camera.
I feel many of my most popular images are created when the majority of people aren’t out and about. Why? Because people are being introduced to beauty they wouldn’t see otherwise!
Our senses tend to dull when we see something every day, so we often overlook “common” beauty in favour of something new to us.
Have you ever heard (or said yourself), “oh, it’s just a raven”? I have! But then I learned how ravens can help me locate wildlife and I started to look at these seemingly black and boring birds as not only incredible beings, but also as works of art themselves! I was both literally and figuratively seeing them in a different light.
Nature often hides its beauty and reveals it only to those who take time to really look at it and appreciate it. I feel this is true for wildlife, as well as landscapes. It's the shimmering colours that are only visible in certain lighting conditions. It's the complex intricacies of the macro world. It's a ray of sunlight refracted through a water droplet. It's a tender moment of wisdom passed from one generation to the next.
Beauty is everywhere! We only have to look. So as we enter this season where everything that was once covered in a nice clean blanket of snow turns brown, look for the beauty. It's there in every season and in every new day. Train your eyes to see it and you'll have an abundance of inspiration.
This month, I challenge you to photograph something with the intention of introducing its inner beauty to someone else.