The Hunt

The last image made during my stupendous weekend, a 30 minute exposure, ended with the lens dewing up. The dew on the lens causes the star trails to soften at the end which I really like. But the dew also makes the tree soften which is not quite so desirable. But I like the image with all of it's softness. The glow off in the distance is Thunder Bay some 40 mile further up the North Shore in Canada.

On the drive home Sunday afternoon I was reflecting on the weekend. Photography, for me, is like a hunt, always looking for an interesting image to capture. Sometimes you find a gem and other times a plain old rock. It takes alot of energy, both physical and emotional, and believe me it is not an easy pursuit.

It dawned on my that while I was out hunting for images I wasn't always seeing what I was looking for, taking time to stop and enjoy the feast before my eyes. In particular Saturday night/early Sunday morning I found myself totally involved in the experience of being outside on the North Shore at a place scared to the Ojibwe people under a canopy of stars engaged in quiet conversation with someone equally happy to be there. I commented to Travis that this reminded me of the time when I used to do this alot more when I realized that I was doing it again, right NOW. I felt so much peace and tranquility, nourishing food for the soul.

I've often subconsciously stopped and enjoyed my surroundings. Many a morning I have risen to make photographs of the sunrise but found myself enjoying the start of a new day with my camera still tucked in my camera bag. After all capturing images in ones camera is not the only capturing method. Capturing them in your body, your mind and your soul is often much more memorable. It is photographing the stars at night, that gives one he opportunity to capture those two images at once. Just be aware that a 30 minute camera exposure could easily become a 60 minute exposure if your body, mind and soul exposure is longer than the cameras.

Roger