Recently I was reading a book, Self-Compassion, by Kristin Neff. Today's world often seems a bit topsy-turvy, and it is easy to blame ourselves for not doing better in it. The photography world, especially the professional end of it, can be brutal, yet we often treat ourselves quite poorly in how we relate to such challenges.
Neff has a small section on savoring in the chapter, "Self-Appreciation", that made me think a bit about how we approach nature photography. She says that learning to savor experiences helps us become more aware and more self-compassionate. I think it may do even more for us as nature photographers.
It seems that often photographers become so focused on the photography that the experience with nature becomes secondary. I remember reading recently on Facebook about a nature photographer I knew who went to a location and talked only about how many gigabytes of images he had captured. Really? Is that all that place's nature is worth? Getting the most gigabytes?
That is not uncommon. How often do you hear of a photographer who went on a trip and one of the first things you hear is how many memory cards they used up, as if there were some sort of competition about filling memory cards? Nothing about the experience of connecting with a location or little about why the experience was so great beyond filling up memory cards. I knew a photographer who talked about "harvesting images" that he could work on back in the computer.
Neff describes savoring as "the conscious enjoyment of that which gives us pleasure ... lingering over delightful experiences." Photography can give us pleasure, especially photography of nature, but lingering over filling up memory cards as pleasure? Really? Neff continues, "When we savor an experience, we hold it in mindful awareness, paying conscious attention to the pleasant thoughts, sensations, and emotions arising in the present moment." Is concentrating on gigabytes of images worth holding in mindful experience?
I would suggest a different mindset. I am not suggesting that one does not take many photos (though as Jim Brandenburg proved with his 90-day project, Chased by the Light, that can be valuable, too), simply that if nature is important to us, then it deserves to be savored beyond simply harvesting it in any form.
So how do you savor nature as you photograph it? I think it means slowing down and being open to what is truly in front of you. To me, this opens a sense of wonder about the world and is more likely to get me to say, "Wow!", than simply trying to fit the scene into some preconceived idea of getting a certain amount of photography of the subject and location. Being open to what is truly in front of you means you will stop and see new things as you photograph the same subject. It also means enjoying the experience of being with a unique aspect of nature, of enjoying the photography of that nature, and connecting with that nature beyond it being a trophy of being at a certain location.
The photos seen here are of a small section of shoreline along the North Shore of Lake Superior near Temperance River. Not long ago, I spent nearly 45 minutes at this spot, truly enjoying the experience of nature, the thrill of a "wonder-full" place of winter, and photographing it.
Neff says that psychologists have begun to study the effects of savoring on well-being. She notes that studies "indicate that people who are able to savor the pleasant aspects of their lives are happier and less depressed than those who don't."
So don't be intimidated or encouraged by those who try to impress you with how many gigabytes they shot on their last outing into nature. Be impressed with the nature, savor the experiences, and allow yourself to get involved and connected with nature as you photograph it.
Right on! I also can find myself so anxious about "getting the shot," doing justice photographically to the beauty, that I don't fully enjoy the beauty. That is especially true if I am operating within time constraints, which is almost always. So I try to slow down and remind myself, and sometimes to just LOOK and not even raise the camera.
Rob, I couldn't agree more! I have sometimes found myself in that same trap of photographing nature without enjoying it. Once I realized what I was doing and stopped, my experience improved as did my photography. Sometimes its about stopping to smell the flowers, not just photographing them!
Thanks, Laura!
Great article Rob! When I was shooting at National Park Volcan Masaya, I was very excited and my son told me " Mom, Take care, Do you think you are Rob Sheppard? . Of
course not, but I love Nature Photography. That's simple, enjoy doing, you love to do.
Thanks, Teresa. Enjoy doing what you love to do, indeed!
I always savor the beauty of the planet that God has created for us. I also shoot a LOT of photos. I shoot what is in front of me, beside me, behind me, down low, and even up into the sky... I want to keep the scene(ery) alive long after I'm off the trails. Then I go home and cull aggressively.
That's great! The point is not how many photos we take, but how connected you are with the nature in front of us.
I've always felt that part of photography was enjoying the place I was photographing and just being outdoors. I mostly do landscapes, and have lost count of the number of times I have said "wow!" upon coming into a new location, or watching a sunrise or sunset. Over the years I have seen, and photographed, some wonderful things
I think it also means simply letting one self be aware of being alive in that moment in that place and grateful for all that had to occur for that particular moment to happen.
Rob, my first photography instructor put your thoughts a slightly different way, but it means the samething. Les Saucier would always say enjoy your photography. What is important is the process, not the product.
Thanks, Hugh!
I fully agree with your blog post. About a year ago I realized that when I would go on vacation and take photos, I missed the 'experience' of the moment. I had wonderful photos to enjoy, but I hadn't lived in the moment, I had lived behind the lens. Now what I do is give myself permission to enjoy the expierience, and if a photo opportunity comes out of it, that's a fantastic bonus. I give myself permission to not take photos at times. My photography has improved, and my happiness quotient has magnified. Thank you for the post.
Great ideas, Susanne! Live in the moment, not just behind the lens!
Rob...great article! The same perspective as I have had and as I try to share with others. Enjoy the moment, savor the experience.
Yes, indeed, Jim, my brother of a different mother.
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Rob, what may help photographers is the advice you gave me and others during a workshop. You had noticed that many photographers get to a location and immediately pull out our cameras and tripods, set them down in one place, then begin shooting. You advised us to first take a look around so that we don't miss out on the different perspective. One could extend that to taking a look around, take in the sounds and take in the smell. If you decide there is a shot worth shooting, then fine. If not, all is not necessaruily lost. Savor the moment(s)!
Thanks for remembering that, Rob!
This is a good topic. On many of my trips, I have experienced many photographers who are distracted and preoccupied by things other than the scene that is in front of them. For example, I was photographing in Colorado at a mountain lake and all I heard from the photographers around me were discussion of gear and their latest acquisitions. One was telling the photographer next to him that he just bought the latest Canon "L" lens simply to complete his collection of the line.
It always seems the same, no matter where I'm photographing, the majority of photographers around me seem more concerned with their cameras and lenses than they do with the quality of light falling on the landscape in front of them, or simply the majesty of the area. (The exact opposite of what Ansel Adams advocated!) It suggests to me that although they are present, they aren't really "there".
Great thoughts, Jim!
Thank you, Rob. This is a beautiful and very helpful blog post. I began taking pictures because I wanted to be closer to what I was seeing. If I found myself staring at something--a flower, tree bark, light breaking apart on ice--then I knew I needed to photograph it. But sometimes the sense that I "have to" get something photographed and the pressures of technical puzzle-solving push these moments aside; the resulting images (as well as my own experiences) suffer. Thank you for bringing me back to what I want to be doing.
Glad it was helpful, Emily!
Last Saturday, I sat on a mountain-top here in Cape Dorset, Nunavut, Canada and waited for that glorious sky-filling light glinting off wind-sculpted drifts, hoping the batteries would last at -38C (wind-chill, really only -27C). Didn't happen; just a small red glow and the sun popped over the horizon without fanfare. Loved it. No glorious digital memories but, in my mind, so many. I've yet to truly capture the feelings of nature which is, I suppose, why I keep trying.
But it sounds like you have captured the feelings of nature inside you, which is a good thing, too.
Superb blog post!
Thanks, Alexander!
I too fell into the trap of arriving at a scene, quickly snapping a few images and then moving on. More recently, and I hope this happened with maturing as a photographer, I'm slowing down, being present, and enjoying the moment. By doing this, I feel my photography is significantly improving.
Yes, it is good to slow down and be present with nature!
I don't think I've ever fallen into this trap yet.
I only shoot scenes I find beautiful, wondrous and hope others have similar experiences viewing my photos. Maybe it's because I always have my dog with me who acts as a delightful distraction to the photography.
An article to continue to ponder in future years though.
Cheers Rob F
Thanks for the comment, Rob!
Very well stated Rob! I try to live by the philosophy that I never deserve all of the credit for an image. I always have a partner. That partner may be a bird, a flower or a landscape, but I am nothing without my partner.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Wayne!
Agreed Rob. I tend to dumb things down for people like ...me. I believe there are two types of nature/landscape photographers. The ones that have always been out there with nature and the outdoors and would be there anyway, and the ones that would not go out without the camera. I embrace the fact that photography can bring people to nature but I feel the more organic road is the other way around, and which more than likely started at a very early age. Cheers
Interesting thoughts, Chris.
Re "savoring", Freeman Patterson in his book. Photography of Natural Things(1982), mentioned 2 types of photography, documentary & interpretive, the latter includes contemplation & enjoyment of your subject. And how your pics will be more creative, spiritual & unique. Have fun & celebrate God's gift to us! John B.
Thanks, John!
I just experienced a magical day at the Pacific Ocean. I found myself not wanting to take any photos because I didn't want to disturb the actual experience. Photography takes me out of the experience of nature and into the experience of documenting/interpreting it--which is also enjoyable, but definitely not the same thing. I consistently struggle to reconcile my desire to fully experience nature with my desire to photograph it, sinceI find it difficult to do both fully, simultaneously. A few things seem to help: spending time just being present in a setting before trying to capture it, taking only those photos that I can immediately and intuitively see as worthwhile. and being skilled at the technical aspects of the camera so they are second nature and don't require a lot of thinking and fiddling. Any other advice or ideas about this dilemma?
Thanks for the great story, Robin! I do understand the challenge. I think you "know" already some good ways to deal with this, such as the spending time being present and becoming skilled enough that you don't think about the camera so much (this goes beyond being "skilled" – in today's world of ever changing cameras, just getting a new camera can throw you off). I had to think a little about this. For reasons I don't fully understand, the camera is rarely a barrier when I am shooting. In fact, it becomes a meditation on the subject, in some ways, because of the way the camera focuses my attention on something very specific as long as I am open to what that thing has to "tell" me. I know that sounds very new age or something, but I am a great believer in being open to what a subject has to offer rather than imposing what I feel I have to do in order to photograph. I think one thing that might be holding you back is your thought that you want to only take photos that you can immediately and intuitively see as worthwhile. That's a pretty stressful goal! Why not simply open yourself to the possibilities of your subject and photograph what brings you joy about that subject, then discover later which photos are worthwhile. Our minds work in strange ways at times, and sometimes the photos we "think" are most worthwhile are not when we look at them later, yet other images that we did not "think" were so important turn out to be quite important. It is a matter of trusting something deeper within ourselves that wants to connect with the world rather than doing all of our thinking in the space we are controlling at the moment. I suppose in a sense it is letting go of that need to control the image's worth so you can be open to what the subject wants to say to you. Rob
Once in a while leave the camera behind! Go to a beautiful place and just don't think about taking photos. Just enjoy the beautiful scenery, the wind, the air, the smell, maybe the company of a friend, etc.
Indeed! And even if you are shooting, sometimes it is worth just sitting and watching.