Time - Life Lesson from Behind the Lens

Our personal interests can teach many life lessons.  Nature photography is no different.  Some lessons in photography are probably obvious, such as looking at your image as well as business challenges from multiple perspectives.

However some lessons are not so apparent, until you see them taking hold in both your photography and your approach to life.   One lesson is the use of time, it's definition quite elusive depending on your perspective.  It's the one thing that cannot be bought, shortened, or extended.  A precious, precious commodity.

In nature photography, each day has a limited amount of time that maximizes the quality of a given type of image we are shooting for.

The minutes before and after a sunrise where the soft rich rose hues cascade across our landscape.

The World Awaits by ©Sheen's Nature Photography

The early to mid-morning time frame where bees, other insects and birds start off by moving slowly before elevating to a darting, rapid pace.

Oh What a Beautiful Morning! ©Sheen's Nature Photography

The midday sun where direct overhead light can be made to work for areas where you don't want shadows.

Don't Forget the Sunscreen.... ©Sheen's Nature Photography

And then sunset, where glowing red to amethyst skies sweep in before nightfall.

So Long, Farewell Until Tomorrow.....©Sheen's Nature Photography

Nature Photography awakened the need to be more aware and in some cases, a bit selfish with time.  Family, fur-children will always take priority.

All aspects of nature - birds, foliage, landscapes, nightscapes - have their individual peaks in each of the four seasons.  These peaks become guideposts as to how and where we will spend our personal time.

The result?  Wonderful memories in the mind, the heart and forever on digital that serve as visible reminders of time joyously spent.

How will you spend your free time today?  Happy Shooting!

It's Not Just About Our Back Yard

Summer highways, fields and forests are filled with brilliant yellows, pinks and blues. Gardens ebb and flow with color as perennials peak and give way to the next round in the blooming season.  A host of songbirds, butterflies, bees and insects take delight in savoring their region's balanced food chain.  

Black-eyed Susans at Quarton Lake
Nikon 600, 105mm, ISO 250, f/5, 1/60 sec

Sustaining our beautiful, colorful native plants is easy.  Talk to your local nursery, ask them to carry native plants and plant them in your backyard.  Just as important, asking your local communities, city parks and business parks to plant native versus ornamentals also can make a difference. Many of these groups are already headed this direction.

Avoiding and eliminating invasive plants is crucial to maintaining a healthy food chain. The newsletter "Why Should I Care About Invasive Plants?" provides a brief, descriptive review of invasive plants and species.

Butterfly Savoring Breakfast at Quarton Lake
Nikon 600, 105mm, ISO 250, f/6.3, 1/640 sec

Not all non-native plants are harmful. Roses, tulips and many garden favorites are safe for your garden and the environment.  

"Invasive" represents those aggressive plant species that grow and reproduce rapidly and causing disruptive, major changes to the areas they start to take over.  

In my hometown, Birmingham, Michigan's City Government has taken a very active role in eliminating invasive plants.  They use native plants in restoration projects and new developments, educate the community and provide tips on their website about being environmentally savvy. 

Whether in a large metropolitan area, small community or rural environment, planting native plants makes a difference.  Native plants save water and prevent high maintenance costs caused by invasive plants. 

Check your local area website to see what's been accomplished and what's planned. You may find that you can positively impact both your local community and local environment.

 Happy Shooting!