It occurs to me that my photography hobby has morphed into something that I never intended. In 2016, I wanted a distraction. I wanted (needed?) to move my attention from all the things that were ugly in the world – all the stuff that was feeding my nihilism and misanthropy – and to get back to appreciating the beauty and potential in this world. I felt compelled to get away from the computer, leave the house, and enjoy what the world has to offer.
Since then, I have captured or collected more and more images, and now – unless there is a chance to capture an image that is better than one that I’ve captured before – the camera has become as much an excuse to stay at home as a reason to go out. The world immediately outside my door is too familiar. Too damp. Too dark. Too windy. The light sucks. Photo snobbery and the pursuit of the perfectly unique image has started to provide me with more excuses to stay than reasons to go out.
I have begun to recognize this and am going to do my best to fight it, starting this weekend. Today, the sun was (usually) harsh. The air was cold. The snow was old. The winds were picking up a bit. Still, I decided to go Green Lakes and go for a walk with my camera rather than go out with my camera to take pictures.
Sure, I took a few snaps as I walked from the lakeside parking, up through the disc golf course, and up past the cabins to look down on a nearly-frozen Round Lake. But while I certainly kept my eyes open for interesting shapes and subjects, my intentions were not to take pictures so much as to appreciate where I was, to hear every sound, to feel each step. In that manner, today’s outing was a success, even if the images I came home with were less than inspiring.
