“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and take a look around once in awhile, you could miss it.”
Bueller wasn’t a naturalist (or a photographer), but I think his advice is the key to enjoying nature.
In our modern world of cell phones, next day shipping, and instant access to just about anything, it’s really hard sometimes to take a break and escape this “on demand” attitude.
But, to really enjoy nature and see all of its beauty, you have to look through patient eyes. You have to stop and take a look around once in awhile.
Here’s a short story to help illustrate what I mean:
When my sister came to California for a visit last summer, we decided to go hiking on one of my favorite trails in the San Gabriel Mountains. It’s a fairly secluded trail with lots of mountain views along the way, and just barely far enough from the city to make you forget about concrete for a second 🙂
We hiked for about four or five miles, enjoying the scenery and the various lizards that roam around the California chaparral. By the time we got to the end of the trail, we were ready for a break, so we veered off the trail a little bit and sat on a few rocks next to a stream.
The stream is primarily fed by snow, which had long been melted, so the water flow was pretty weak. But, the dwindling stream allowed us to witness an amazing event: hummingbirds taking turns sipping water from the stream.
There was always one hummingbird drinking, while 3-4 hovered (“waiting in line”) about a foot above the stream. As soon as one was done, the next would drink, and so on.
We watched them for as long as we could, and then headed back up the trail as the sun was going down. I didn’t have my camera with me, but returned the following weekend and was able to get a couple good photos:
The point of the story is that we never would have witnessed these beautiful birds if we didn’t stop and take a look around. If we just zoomed through the trail, we would’ve missed them.
When walking down a trail, you quickly scare away all kinds of wildlife, even if you try to be as quiet as possible. But, if you stop and take a look around for awhile, a lot of that wildlife you just scared away will come back.. And, sometimes they’ll even let you take a photo of them 🙂
So, if you get a chance to go for a hike this weekend, try to leave the modern day “on demand” attitude at home, and just enjoy what nature presents. Patiently.
About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains or the Mojave Desert, both located in the beautiful state of California.
I definitely agree with that, and what a perfect example you came across – with stunning photos to show for.
I’ve also noticed how often people walk around with a camera in hand, but never look up, down, or behind them.. Their photos are all of eye-level views and only of left, right, and straight ahead. It’s a very big world with lots of things to see but, you’re right, we do have to take time to look around.
@PSYL – thanks!!
@Leah – I totally agree. I’ve noticed the same thing. Usually, those eye-level photos aren’t as interesting as the other views (i.e. really low to the ground, or raised to a higher level).
I’ve found that most subjects are best viewed from their own level, so if you’re photographing a short flower, you gotta get down low.
Another thing I’ve just started to try and do is get higher as well. This helps add a lot of depth to landscapes with a flat foreground. Ansel Adams actually built a platform on top of his car to get a higher view!
Couldn’t agree with you more on the “take a look around once in a while philosophy”! Whenever I have my camera with me, I do still try to pay attention to everything around me, not just what’s in front of my lens. On the flip side, though, I’ve noticed many details through my camera lens (especially on flowers) that I otherwise would not have noticed had I not been photographing. SO…. sometimes my camera actually HELPS me see those things I might otherwise be missing. Just depends on the circumstances.
BTW, I love that very last photo, where the hummingbird is actually standing on the rock. Seems like they don’t perch much when eating/drinking, so they look a bit “off” when they stop hovering (but in a cute way).
@Heather – I feel the same way about the camera, and how it can help you see details that your eyes cannot. Sometimes I feel like I don’t really see a flower until I photograph it!
Thanks for your comment on the last photo 🙂 For some reason, the males are always hard to get in front of a camera.. but, luckily this one not only let me take a photo of him, but also stood still and had his head pointed in the right direction (if he would’ve moved his head either direction a few degrees, that red throat/crown wouldn’t be visible).
Sorry to here you have started another of those ridiculous wannabe so called PHOTOGRAPHERS?? sites.I guess we serious Photographers will have to put up with Billions of snapshots to critique(JOKE} and serious questions like”How do i turn my camera on” to the detriment of your Photonaturalist site.If this becomes so,I for one will not hesitate to unsubscribe and I hope thousands will join me .I am tired of genuine Photography webs catering to Happysnappers.Just what the World needs another forum for idiots with toy point and shoot equipment. Surely there are enough sites for them to air their inane comments.This is the dismal downside of digital technology.
@chris – It’s unfortunate you feel that way. Although our target audience is anyone with a digital SLR, a lot of the articles we write also apply to photography in general (whether that means you take photographs with a point and shoot camera or even if you just use your iPhone as a camera, which takes surprisingly good photos btw).
My goal in creating this website was simply to share my knowledge about capturing natural scenes with a camera. I started out with a point and shoot Olympus 4.0 Megapixel camera, and I am in no way ashamed or embarrassed by that. We all start out somewhere! In fact, I’ve seen some pretty amazing photos taken with a point and shoot camera.. just like with anything else, the person is much more important than the tool.
I created the forum you refer to (our Facebook page) to encourage more communication amongst our readers. It’s a totally optional forum that’s separate from this website, so feel free to ignore it.
Anyway, I appreciate your feedback (honestly, I do), and if you have a better idea for some kind of forum, I’d love to hear it! Thanks,
Steve