What the world passes by

Last Wednesday was unlike any late July day here that I can ever recall. For a short time, Summer disappeared and Spring returned. It was seemingly miraculous. There was a very noticeable breeze all day, and the humidity was much lower than normal. Temperatures were in the mid 80s.

I went to the nearby state park late in the afternoon about an hour before closing. As I was walking to the visitor center, I stepped off the sidewalk and moved closer to the woods with my camera. I love the way golden afternoon sunlight illuminates this patch of woods creating an almost magical effect as shadows and light accentuate the leaves.

A young couple with a baby in a stroller had just passed me in their way out of the park. I was intently peering into the woods with my camera. As I turned to continue on to the visitor center where I had to check in with my yearly pass, I was surprised to see the couple staring at me.

“What did you see?” The young man inquired, obviously curious. “Was it an owl?”

I had to smile. “Oh no, I replied. “I was just observing the shadows and light in the trees. I’m interested in everything.”

“Gotcha,” the man replied as the young family continued on their way.

Generally speaking, when I am out in parks or nature preserves taking pictures, people are primarily interested in alligators, snakes, owls and birds, pretty much in that order. I am, too, believe me. Owls are the most amazing and mysterious creatures, and I’ve had a chance to get some good photos of them, not to mention alligators and snakes. But there’s so much more.

For almost 20 years I have been wandering the paths of this beautiful park full of ancient live oak trees, Spanish moss, azaleas and camellias. But my favorites creatures to photograph, when I’m lucky enough to see them, are butterflies. To me they are little miracles of astonishing beauty and complexity, design and coloration. Sadly, there seem to be fewer and fewer of them.

For me, when I told the man I am interested in everything, that was almost literally true. Things are always popping out at me on the ground, in the woods, in the sky (mainly clouds), and wherever I happen to be walking, whether in Nature or in a nearly abandoned small town in the middle of nowhere. I get really excited about such things.

A few weeks ago my nephew stopped the car on the main street of one such town, I got out, and within 10 minutes I had taken the same number of photos and could have taken more but I knew my traveling companions were ready to get going. I have done this type of photography so much over so many years that I immediately sense and hone in on both large and small details in front of me. Or I spot something from across the street and photograph that. Nothing is too trivial or ordinary because it is in previsely those mundane details that stories and narratives about a place unfold in my mind’s eye and imagination. The past speaks very directly to me at times.

One final and interesting note. As I mentioned, simple things can be the most interesting. There is beauty where we often don’t think to look.

As I was walking at the lake yesterday at sunset, another walker passed me and I overheard her say to someone on her phone: “You don’t see the beauty all around you? I don’t understand that.” Curious timing indeed.

What the World Passes By

https://www.flickr.com/gp/camas/pN7Gt7

A short visit to a nearly empty small town main street

https://www.flickr.com/gp/camas/59h1m4