“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” ~ Dorthea Lange
When I was in high school and needed some quiet, I would go sit on the beach. Aside from a fisherman or two, my spot was empty time after time. Mostly, I’d just sit in my car and stare at the waves. I always drove away calmer.
These days, I don’t live near a beach and I have been looking for some quiet places to escape, even for just a few minutes. When the babysitter arrives and I have a break, I don’t know where to go. Honestly, I’d rather stay home but my daughter incessantly interrupts me. I’ve tried a few coffee shops but some have loud music, some have spotty internet connections, and some have some version of that person at the next table annoying me with her little pen taps and incessant throat clearing.
So I turn to photography to calm my nerves and give my eyes a place to rest. And it really helps! In any stressful situation, I find I can always find something poetic and timeless about some part of it.
Do you feel the same?
I totally know what you mean here. When I’m doing image editing, capturing a shot, or preparing for either of these, it’s a kind of meditation. And at the end, there’s a picture!
Have you read this month’s Oprah? I was just reading an article similar to this last night, it said to find water…water takes you to the most peaceful place and most to nature.
I should get that backyard fountain afterall? Where can I find water around here? I LOVE water… So calming for me.
Girl, I am so behind on magazines. I flipped through the August Oprah yesterday. Oy.
When I was in high-school, I used to stand on an old tree stump and look over fence and the alley into the cemetery…rather calming. 🙂
And now, I take a walk at lunch to get away from the office cubicle and phones…outside regardless of the temperature…walk to the park and adore the massive trees and grass and ducks and geese…and then go hiking in the canyons and mountains on my weekends…to get away…to restore that peace. My camera documents what my eyes and heart still find unbelievable…that this wonder and marvel of nature is in my life again. It’s always sad to leave.
Maybe that’s more than you asked for, but… 🙂
That sounds SO nice.
I feel EXACTLY the same way. Discovering my love for photography/nature/peace has given me a sense of calm that I’ve never had before.
OH YES, I feel the same!! I am fortunate to have woods behind my house and since I love to shoot nature, it’s the perfect place to take a few minutes and get lost behind the camera! I take a deep breath and the tension drains away! In the past I relaxed through music, stitching, or quilting. Until this past year, I never knew a camera in my hands would bring such peace! I love your starfish image, beautiful textures and colors!
Thanks, Cathy. I think living close to such beauty is wonderful. I miss that!