Landscapes can take you places

I was recently showing a new client some of my work. She had visited the exhibit on imperiled birds at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature but was more enamored with my landscape photography. She was particularly fascinated with the black and white landscapes for what they reveal and what she saw in them.

We discussed the textures, the focal point, the mood, the sky, the horizon, the things you might miss in a color photo. We also talked about the memory of place, how a photo can take you to a certain time or event in your mind. She had grown up on Longboat Key and worked in Sarasota for decades. I showed her my photo titled Longboat Light and she immediately went back to her childhood and sitting under the trees at Beer Can Island reading books. Her story reminded me that there is power and emotion in place.

Because I have the exhibit on imperiled birds, I have spent much of 2019 more focused on my bird photography than my sea and landscape photography. In some ways birds are easier. They can be comical, they have personality, their colors are vibrant and they usually are active. While getting those shots can be tough, I always come back with something I am willing to share.

Landscape photography is a different sort of challenge. So much depends on the mood, the perspective, the light and the scene. It takes patience and care to find just the right shot. When I come back with a landscape or seascape photo, unlike bird photos, there is usually just one that stands out — only one I will print from a day of shooting.

I love landscape photography for several reasons. The first is that landscapes change, so I know that when I get that shot I want, it won’t be duplicated. The light will never be exactly the same against the plants and grasses; the water levels ebb and flow; there may be footprints next time where there were none. The second reason is that landscape photography is as much about preservation as my bird photography is. The birds are disappearing because their habitats are disappearing. Part of my mission as a photographer is to raise awareness about our environment so we all have the good sense to preserve it for the future. My third reason is that landscape photography evokes emotion. It can bring a sense of serenity, prompt memories and take you away from the chaos of the moment into some place wild and wonderful and can cause people to reflect on what’s important..

The conversation about landscape photography prompted me to think about what I love and it got me itching to go back out there and look around Florida for something I want to bring home and print.

The photograph below was taken in Myakka River State Park with a Nikon 810 using a Nikkor 19mm PC lens. It is two photographs stiched together using Photomerge in Photoshop. What you do not see is the mud that I am sharing with tripod.

Reflections in Nature

Growing up in Manatee County, I was out in nature all the time. You could find me in the woods or on the water. I ate fruit off of trees growing wild, crawled through mud in search of photos and searched for marine life on the sandy bottom of the river, the bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It was a wonderful way to grow up.

I believe that nature offers serenity. It allows your mind to wander, along with your feet. I can truly appreciate all of God’s Creations when I’m in nature. As a visual person, I enjoy the colors, the textures and the light. Being outside also reminds me to listen for the different sounds the birds make, the rustle of the leaves, the sound of an animal running in the underbrush. I love the smells of nature and the feel of the air — yes even the humidity. Yes there are days I combat mosquitoes and yes, I do get hot, especially when carrying my biggest lens and a tripod, but at the end of a day I feel rested, my mind is calm and my spirit rejuvenated

The photos I bring home reflect that. I hope that’s what I offer to people through my images, a few moments of serenity, a time for quiet reflection.

I retired from the newspaper business after more than three decades of shooting photographs of everything, including crime scenes, fires, hurricanes, and all sort of unsettling things. There were days, weeks and years I couldn’t get the things I saw of out my mind. Coming back to nature, to my roots, has helped bring back the peace I enjoyed in childhood. Scenes of beauty help me to remember I am part of something much greater. That’s why conservation is so important to me. We have so many treasures in nature and we too often overlook those treasures in the pursuit of the money development might bring.

Next time you are out for a walk, venture into a preserve and spend some time in nature. Clear your mind and allow yourself to see, feel and hear what’s around you. If you stay out long enough, you’ll notice the tension falling away. You’ll appreciate the sounds and sights, even if they seem familiar (I mean who in Florida hasn’t seen a great blue heron). But you’ll probably see something you haven’t seen before, like a feather stuck in the egret’s beak after he’s been preening or the way he moves or that bug or fish he’s caught for supper.

I believe that preserving nature means preserving ourselves. Our souls need nourishment and there’s no better place to find it than in the great outdoors.