Seeing with and without a camera

rsc was the first, but not the only person to compare some of my water photographs to Escher's etching, Three Worlds. This isn't as good as the one I posted on April 9, but the late-afternoon reflections were so vivid today, I couldn't resist sharing them with everyone who enjoys seeing them.





A similar image posted in waterflow shows even more interesting light effects underwater. Reflections never cease to fascinate me. I was going to apologize for posting them so repetitively. Then I realized this is my journal; I don't need to apologize for posting what I want.

Motivation and concentration have been difficult this week. Today I did something I haven't tried for months, because photography has circumvented it; I did some walking meditation. On the way out I tried to ignore my camera and all other distractions and concentrate inwardly. The hardest part came when I passed a guy with a beard throwing a Frisbee for his dog. It felt good for a few minutes on such a fine day to turn my mind away from framing photographs. I am reminded of how nature writer Barry Lopez stopped taking photographs altogether because he felt it distracted him from seeing. I should do this more often. I walked slowly to my chosen destination. Then, after turning around, I allowed myself to pull out the camera.

The next photo has no particular artistic merit. What impressed me about it was how the late afternoon sun highlighted the yellowish-green colour of lichen in upper branches of the Manitoba maples (Acer negundo). I didn't notice this while I was on the site. I love how the camera sees things I do not; so here I have one argument for continuing to use it. I can take time out from being a photographer without giving it up altogether.





The air was alive with music: chickadees, robins, cardinals and juncos accompanied by water trickling from a drain pipe. The beauty is misleading. It's all about territory. On the pond, Canada geese were fighting for possession of the island. A second pair seemed to think it was a big enough space to share. The original male disagreed and chased them off with a violent beating of wings. The losers gliding away made a deceptive image of serenity.

( Behind the cut )