Growing up as an artsy person, I seem to find an appreciation in many of my life’s simple wonders. Due to this, I find myself taking photos of everything. A few of my very favorite things are the way a sunset shines behind the leaves of trees, bushes illuminated to the brightest of green and warm Summer evenings.
The other evening the sun was shining through the trees at a marvelous angle, illuminating the beautiful foliage while we were driving down the hill. I obviously was taking photos, watching the view from my camera. Completely in awe of it all. After about five minutes, the sunset went behind the hill and the illumination and sparkle, stopped. Something dawned on me as I got back into the car and looked at my photos. I had been so obsessed with getting the perfect setting on my camera, or lining up the perfect shot, that I had not actually appreciated what I had before my very eyes! The magical Summer evening sunset moment was gone.
I had not actually taken time to appreciate the beauty in that moment myself (without my camera). No matter how many photos I take or how good the lighting is, I will never get the overall ‘in the moment’ feeling from a photo. I needed to observe and be present in the moment.
Photos are amazing. They preserve a glimpse of time and create a memory. However, the number of amazing moments that I was technically missing, by being behind the lens, was very high. I have many moments and memories recorded, but not as many moments and memories thoroughly mentally recorded.
How many moments have I missed in real time? Let this remind you to really take in the worlds beauty – with your own eyes.
