if you had told me five years ago
that someday
i'd fall in love with an old stone wall sliding precariously close to a lake's edge
or
exposed tree roots that had outgrown themselves
i would have grabbed the yellow pages and searched institutes
~for both of us~
::
i guess i have always loved landscapes
but
not enough to necessarily photograph them
or
to even think they were worthy of being photographed
::
but now
i see beauty everywhere
and
everyday landscapes that i've seen a thousand times
are sucking me in
like that deep breath you take so carefully
when your doctor has a stethoscope on your back
::
so today
even if your landscape is piles of dirty laundry or dishes
or
a mess of pillows and blankets while the bedding gets changed
love it
let it suck you in
photograph it
and
be amazed
that what you've seen so many times before
can
be amazing and beautiful
today
*
landscapes have ALWAYS been lovelier to me than people. guess it works well that i'm a hermit! :)
ReplyDeleteI've recently started to see beauty in things I hadn't noticed before too. It's a beautiful thing.
ReplyDeleteCould it be you are seeing beauty everywhere because your heart serves as your camera viewfinder? Thank you for taking us along :-)
ReplyDeleteThe camera does help us to see more clearly. This is something I have noticed for myself too.
ReplyDeleteReminds me of an old wall in the Patapsco State Park in Maryland that I saw as we were hiking about 10 years ago.
ReplyDeleteCamera lenses truly show us a different world.
DI
This is really beautiful and I love your processing. Since I intensified my taking photos I seem to see so much beauty around me, so I totally understand what you mean! :-)
ReplyDeleteLovely words of wisdom, Beth. Sometimes we don't take the time to see the beauty right in front of us!
ReplyDeleteI just can't believe how gorgeous these b&w's are...I can see why you now see the beauty in everything!
ReplyDeleteSo grateful for the reminder and for truth well spoken. After all I see in a pediatric ER on a daily basis, I count on my camera as a 'third eye' to see the things that truly matter; to see the hidden beauty all around me.
ReplyDeleteLOVE your blog!
Trying to see the beauty in a flooded basement ... it's definitely prompted some spring cleaning!
ReplyDeleteI think Marilyn has it right. I find that I'm seeing all that is around me differently since I got my Nikon as a gift and even more since I bought my Canon. It is fulfilling and fun! Aside from my great-granddaughter (now 6 months old), I love nature as the objects of my lens. You have me addicted to black and white, and occasionally sepia. Thanks, Beth, because it's a positive addiction. :)
ReplyDeleteI've always been a sucker for old brick walls and exposed tree roots, but I'll take your advice and try to see beauty in this uncharming room I work in. (It's gonna be tough, though, when I can see trees and blue sky out the window!)
ReplyDeleteI started my hobby of photgraphy for exactly this reason...to notice and embrace the beauty in each little everyday thing. I wouldn't necessarily call that stonewall everyday however! It is extra-ordinary gothic beauty!
ReplyDeletenow I can get real excited about those piles of laundry,,,ya know me, the Laundry Slut!
ReplyDeleteI love this stone wall too, Beth. It reminds me of my childhood adventures outdoors, in the woods, playing on giant rocks by the creeks, pretending to be like Laura Ingalls Wilder. Deep inside, I am a pioneer adventurer and that stone wall is a place I visit...I write there and play with bunnies.
ReplyDeletelovely... and yes it's quite fascinating what grabs us.
ReplyDeleteBeth, I enlarged the pic and love the roots and natter of limbs that seem mysterious in B & W. (The limbs really do seem to be chattering, don't they?) I think the B & W exposure draws the eye and makes you want to explore the landscape more fully.
ReplyDeleteIt is all in the way you look at things. Will it float when it slips into the water?
ReplyDeleteSkinamarinky dinky dink sinamarinky do ~ I love you.
ReplyDeleteThat just came outa nowhere. Had to share.
ReplyDeleteA couple of weeks ago, I was walking in San Francisco and came upon a dirt lot littered with trash surrounded by a cyclone fence. In the midst of the dirt grew two of the brightest, lovliest orange poppies. It was such a lovely sight and one I'll always remember. I've always loved the flowers that grow out of a crack in the sidewalk. It's so easy to overlook these things. Beauty is everywhere, we just have to look close enough. Your post reminded me of that.
ReplyDeleteI totally understand what you are saying. All of a sudden, nature has taken on a new beauty....a unique beauty that we can share with our blog readers. Love your photo today!
ReplyDeleteNow that is a beautiful thought!
ReplyDeleteNow you're seeing through my eyes. You taught me to see people differently so it's cool that you captured the pure essence of what I see when I look at old walls and tree roots. Isn't it glorious. Great great shot!
ReplyDeleteI love landscapes and, strangely, even though i prefer nature and countryside to cities, when painting i've discovered that i much prefer a scene that has a manmade object in it, like a wall or old stone cottage as they add so much interest to the scene.
ReplyDeletebeauty in the everyday.
ReplyDeleteAh -- we've all had that moment, those of us who scoop up the camera and run out the door in anticipation of something beautiful! I, for one, am thrilled you discovered your photography!
ReplyDeleteAmen sister!
ReplyDeleteoh, so true.
ReplyDeleteLove this post. Thanks. Made my day!
I can say I have been in your place . Wow have I ever. Roots , bark, walls, you name it.
ReplyDeleteYou made me smile and made my day. Loved your post.
absorbing these words...feeling this very thing today.
ReplyDeleteLove you xo