Drink in the moment...

"There will be times when you will be in the field without a camera, and you will see the most glorious sunset or the most beautiful scene that you have ever witnessed. Don't be bitter because you can't record it. Sit down, drink it in, and enjoy it for what it is!"

~Degriff

I've been revamping a nature photography workshop I gave last year for a presentation on Tuesday, and found this quote on the last slide. I remember it resonating with me when I found it last year, but it does even more so now.

My camera goes with me everywhere, and I often take pictures of the little things that make people wonder if I'm crazy...but it's the little things that often explain the situation, or just add that bit of fun to the day. There are sometimes though when I forget my camera, and it seems those are the days that I find millions of things I want to photograph. It's a hard thing for me to just let it go and be ok with taking mental images. I love the quote "I have a photographic memory I just forgot to load the film" because it describes me very much. I love that I can take a picture of something and go back years later to remind myself of the moments. Pictures help to bring back so many details and memories I would otherwise forget. Having said that though there are some times that it is worth it to just put the camera away and drink in the moment. Sometimes it makes me feel a little bit selfish when I do this, because it means that (aside from descriptions I can give) that moment is now all mine and I can't share it with anyone...but sometimes that's a nice thing to feel. It helps to keep those moments just that little bit more special...because then they belong to me.

Even when I have my camera with me I have been trying hard to learn to pay attention to details and drink in the moments that may not mean much now, but will one day. I have learned to appreciate so much more about the world around me and the people in it by doing this. Paying attention to the details of how things are said, the way people speak, and the way they act and react to those around them can tell volumes about those in your life. I feel so very blessed to have so many incredible people in my life, and be able to trust some of them with my deepest thoughts, ideas, and dreams.

My goals for this month are simple...to sing my way through each day no matter what happens, and to enjoy the details of the moments - with or without my camera.

Z