A Walk in the Woods
The other day, I was having a great discussion with Jasper Doest, a fantastic nature photographer based in The Netherlands, and the topic of experiencing nature came up. I asked him about his upcoming Svalbard workshop, as I’ve been having an inkling to visit Norway lately, and he told me that he has only three participants on the Svalbard workshop and takes six on his popular gray seals workshop. Why? To allow each participant to really experience the location and subjects, and to offer them the most personalized attention and photographic opportunities possible. “That’s just the way I would want it done,” he told me.
What a noble thought. But it brings up a good point. How often do photographers head out into the field with the sole purpose of creating a photograph, and as a result, return home with hundreds of photographs that don’t really mean anything? Even when visiting a beautiful and fantastic location, I think photographers too stuck in the mindset of capturing an image often end up with photographs that are uninspired and forced.
I believe that unique, creative photographs are the product of love. That’s why I photograph predominantly nature subjects. I love the natural world, and landscapes, wildlife, and the colors and patterns of nature are what inspire and motivate me.
Lately, I’ve been spending more time outdoors, more time alone with nature, and less time with a camera in hand. I think that’s important. It’s valuable to be able to see and experience beautiful things, and not have to capture them in an image. If you happen to have a camera and time to compose a beautiful image, great, but if not, does it make the experience any less? It shouldn’t. I think a lot of times photographers get too caught up in photographing and forget to experience what exactly it is they are trying to share with others.
That was exactly what Jasper was trying to get at. He’s been doing fewer workshops and focusing more on his own photography and experiences. He believes that when you actually explore the natural world around and shoot a bit less, that the shots you do take matter more and end up being better than if you spent your entire time stuck behind a lens. I think he’s right.
I know one thing, I’m happier when I spend more time outside. I like snow and rain and sunshine and cloudy days. I was never a huge fan of wind, but lately, I even like that too. I love being outside, I love fresh air, and I love nature. For me, being able to enjoy nature, camera in hand or not, makes me a happier, healthier person, and sometimes I enjoy it more when I’m not lugging 30lbs of gear around or worrying about slipping and smashing up a lens. If I go out on a hike just to hike, not with the goal of photographing, I’m never disappointed. It’s only when I get hung up on taking a picture and forget to be where I am, that I begin to get frustrated by the process.
Yesterday, the area where I live in northern New Jersey got 10-12 inches of thick, wet snow. It was our first real good snow this season, as last weekend, when south Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and other areas more south got dumped on, we didn’t get a single flake. I wanted to go out and photograph the snow, but the roads were a bit too sketchy to drive on, at least with my little Saturn that hates the snow, so I went for a walk. There is a county park that passes through my town with 13.7 miles of paved paths that I can access by walking about half a mile down my street and the main road, then hopping down a bank or crossing the road and jumping onto a wooded trail that connects to the main path. I go there almost every day, usually to run or bike, sometimes just to explore. It’s my tiny sanctuary in the busy, crowded suburb I grew up in, and I’m pretty sure I’d be entirely miserable without it to escape to.
I tossed my landscape gear into a pack on my back, dodged the plows, and headed for my little bit of woods. It was snowing pretty heavily, but I just wanted to get outside and enjoy it. If I was able to get some good photographs in the meantime, even better.
I’m happy to say I wasn’t the only one with that idea, because when I reached the dirt trail that winds through the woods next to the main path, there was a set of tracks ahead of me. Sometimes, I really like having a place to myself, but yesterday, I was glad to see that not everyone who lives in my area are complete cowards. I followed the trail, enjoying the beauty of the trees drenched in snow, snapping many photos. The wooded area of the park is not particularly photogenic, but its pretty in its own way. Snow of course, makes everything seem even more beautiful.
I came to this tree that had fallen across the trail and liked the way it looked. The person ahead of me had walked around it. In the past, I often would have avoided elements of a photo that spoke of human presence, but these days, I’m taking much more of an interest to scenes that show the connection between people and nature. Here, the log provided a beautiful diagonal line to lead into the photo, and the trees on either side of the path framed the tracks in the snow, which, I felt, added some texture to the scene.
Of course, photography involves thinking about the shot, about having a vision and making it come to life. The skills we develop as photographers are necessary to execute our vision. But its not just skills and practice and planning and thought that make photos work. It’s something else too. It’s feeling. It’s about being there. It’s about the experience behind the photograph as much as the photograph itself.
I see hundreds and thousands of good photographs online every day, but only a handful really speak to me and stand out as being something special. Anyone with enough knowledge and practice can take a technically excellent photograph. But the best photographs have soul, have a voice, and that doesn’t come from books or workshops or online forums. It comes from the heart and from experience. When we become too focused on the technical aspects of a photograph, we as photographers often lose sight of the very thing that makes photographs so powerful, the soul behind them. It’s only when we get back to our roots, to our passion, to nature, that we can really capture all of the beauty this planet has to offer.
I think this photo works. Why? Because I took it with a smile on my face, and when I came home from my trek in the park, I felt alive and rejuvenated and happy. It says something. It shows a relationship, a connection between people and the planet. Its not just a mathematical balance of light and dark, lines and shapes. It’s dynamic. It has a story and an experience behind it.
I believe its important to experience the world we live in in order to accurately capture the world we live in. So do yourself a favor. Get outside. Go for a walk and leave your camera at home. Dare to miss the shot. Dare to experience a place before you photograph it. Explore with more that just your camera. Open up your mind and your heart. Begin to see and feel what it is that makes something special. Take it all in before trying to share it with someone else. And then, when you finally take out your camera, you might find that you actually have something to say.
on February 12, 2010 at 8:44 am
Permalink
Words well spoken!…Let’s not be passers by….Let’s take in “the Wonder of it All”…..May you continue to be inspired and pass on your inspiration to others….
on February 12, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Permalink
I absolutely agree with you. Simple as that.
on February 14, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Permalink
Hello Kari.
This post really touched me…a very well written post in other words.
For once, I agree in all the aspects of a photographers mind that you bring up here.
I guess it`s hard, even meaningless, to actually enjoy the zen of nature when you`re first starting out to photograph.
But, I as many others, finds a better quality when we dare to let go…just reflect upon how we benefit, how we are rejuvenated and down to earth when we are enjoying ourselves outdoors.
These days, if I`m on a 3-6 day trek in the mountains, there can be days of not even setting up my gear.
The days are filled with a lot of walking on skis/hiking, reading books, sitting for a long time just looking at the clouds sweep over the peaks and listening to sounds that even aren`t there in a white snow-covered landscape.
It`s an unprecedented experience every single time and there is no substitute to be found.
Reading your blog post, I am reminded of these things, of my own mind and it was very inspiring, Kari.
Thank you.
Have a wonderful sunday.
Best Wishes
Seung Kye
on February 15, 2010 at 7:24 am
Permalink
Hello Kari,
Opening his heart and mind, feeling the things: sure, it is necessary … but is it enough to make a great photo? Is at it not as an element of subjective (I like or dislike the subject) of the beholder? Do we not also succumb to fads that will influence us in the way we look at things?
What is certain is that I appreciate your photos!
Best regards,
Jean-Michel
on February 22, 2010 at 3:52 pm
Permalink
Hi Kari,
I stumbled here from another blog, and really enjoyed the read. You’ve managed to put into words exactly what I feel when I’m outdoors – whether taking photographs or simply just being there.
And your work is stunning.
Adrian
on March 10, 2010 at 11:18 am
Permalink
I LOVE this line –> “It’s only when we get back to our roots, to our passion, to nature, that we can really capture all of the beauty this planet has to offer.” SO true! (Great photo too)!
Your photography and your blog are inspirational.
Laurie
on April 12, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Permalink
Thank you everyone for the compliments!