Most often I have pre-envisioned a photograph before I head out to shoot it. But yesterday, new year’s day, I went out for a late afternoon walk on the Gordon’t Pond Trail in Cape Henlopen State Park. I thought it might be fun to throw my Nikon Z9, with my Z 100-400 mm lens on it, over my shoulder just in case something photo worthy presented itself. Maybe they have faded over time but years ago groups of photographers would join up and go on photo walks. This was/is walking and looking and photographing; a process I consider to be more walking and seeing rather than looking. Looking and seeing are two different things. AI distinguishes the two this way, “Looking is the physical act of directing your eyes, while seeing is the deeper, intentional process of perceiving, understanding, and making meaning from what you’re looking at, involving attention, context, and mind, not just eyesight.” The act of throwing my camera over my shoulder when I go out for a walk on a nature trail changes my mindset from passive observer to active seeker, from reactive to proactive. It deepens my experience. A modern term for what I get in return for seeing more closely is ‘mindfulness’ or the practice of intentionally focusing on the present moment, observing your thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. “Intentionally focusing on the present moment” is essentially the core of what a solo photo walk does for me. So yesterday I walked the Gordon’s Pond Trail with camera by my side and not a particular subject in mind. What may present itself is only as good as what I can SEE as an interesting subject and then capture it on my camera’s sensor. I have spent many hours out in nature shooting with Kevin Fleming and we were often quite surprised at how differently we saw and shot a particular scene or subject. I know those experiences enhanced my photography skills tremendously and I think, to a degree Kevin’s were enhance as well.
Getting back to yesterday’s walk/shoot, initially I didn’t see much but as I walked along in the brisk 33 degree air with a refreshing 10+ mph breeze I began to see possibilities. Here are my four keepers from the walk. The Wilson’s Snipe (thank you Merlin Bird app) was a total stumble upon. I was standing on the side of the trail within a few feet of wet (standing water) grassy fresh water wetlands lining up the shot of the GBHs with an iconic cold, dry air winter sunset behind them when I became aware of a slight movement in the water/grasses spot not more than a dozen feet from where I was standing. It was pretty dark where the snipe was working the shallows but my Z9 is excellent with all levels of light so I shot it with the hope that it would be usable. It is.
So, I had a fun photo walk and saw some things that I would not have seen if I didn’t have my camera with me. Seek and ye may just find. Happy new year.
