Learning to See

The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera. ~Dorthea Lange

I think a photography class should be a requirement in all educational programs because it makes you see the world rather than just look at it.  ~Author Unknown

Someone pointed me to a site with a lot of good quotes about photography the other day.  There were definitely a lot of common themes running through all of the quotes, and this is one I’ve talked about a little here before.  These quotes work on a couple of levels for me.  On the surface, getting into photography has made me much more observant about the world around me.  I catch myself noticing things now that I never would have paid attention to a couple of months ago.  For example, the way certain colors blend together or the reflection on a still body of water.  But I think my eyes have opened on a deeper level as well.  I find that I get much more out of what’s around me.  I have a much deeper appreciation and sense of wonder at so many aspects of the natural world that were completely inconsequential to me before.  I rarely go out to take pictures with the intention of getting a certain shot, more often I simply wander around until I see something that captivates me.  I then try, sometimes successfully, to capture not only the scene that inspires me but the feelings and emotions that it triggers within me.  Take the shot above.  Certainly not a great shot, lens flare and a little crooked.  But sitting there under that tree with the sunlight filtering through the leaves, listening to the sounds of the creek falling over the rocks underneath the bridge filled me with a sense of peace despite the fairly major road only about five feet behind me.

Anyway, I should really get back to work now…

-Ben