 Seeing nature NeighborsNoticing practice: Choose something you normally avoid or overlook, notice the details and your reactions with less judgment and more curiosity. For most of my life, I loathed marigolds. In my hometown, they are everywhere —lining streets, filling planters, decorating signage. To me, they felt smelly, loud, and inescapable. Then, one day I tried a new approach to noticing these flowers. Instead of approaching marigolds as subjects, I approached them as neighbors—as a living presence within the shared place of Mantorville, MN.
This kind of noticing practice asks:
In times of personal or collective transition, it can be difficult to know how to be in right relationship with the places we inhabit. We move through landscapes quickly, often without noticing how they are shaping us or affecting our sense of belonging. In these moments nature asks us to slow down—not as a preference, but as a necessity. Whether through photography, walking, writing, or quiet observation, the practice is the same: to show up repeatedly, attentively, and without urgency. Over time, this way of relating fosters a deeper sense of belonging.  Seeing Nature NourishmentKim Manley Ort and her 2021 project "Seeing Clearly" prompted me to listen for sounds out in the woods on a winter afternoon. With that intention, I heard the woodpeckers. Specifically, I heard a Pileated Woodpecker. For a more biological and ecological perspective on this amazing bird, please read this creatively written blog by Ken Bevis, a DNR Stewardship Wildlife Biologist, "Just About the Coolest Bird Around: the Pileated Woodpecker."
I watched this woodpecker continue to peck at the exact same spot. Sure, there were micro-movements, but this bird never jumped trees or even to a new spot on the same tree. Woodpeckers don’t move when nourishment is being received and, when nourishment ends, they fly away, laughing joyfully! During my photo practice that afternoon, I followed the woodpecker's lead and made micro-movements between exposures. Here's an example of how minor movements can change an image. What do you notice about how the micro-movements changed these two?
Here are additional perspectives to consider:
Spending the afternoon learning from the woodpecker, I've decided to experience 2021 with greater woodpecker-like intention put effort into experiences that provide (more often than not) nourishment. And when it's time to move on, I will do so with (at least a little bit) of gratitude and laughter.  Staying open to simple pleasures offers opportunity for rejuvenation. Nature can hold us during Dark times, and she will also be there when we are ready to rediscover Light. She allows us the opportunity to reconnect with our inner desires, to move in and out of connection with others, to stay aware of the present moment, and to explore our relationship to the environment. If we can accept her gifts, we will rediscover our joy and return to our daily lives rejuvenated.
Here are a few ideas for rejuvenating your life and photo practice:
What simple pleasures rejuvenate you?
 Nature can teach us valuable life lessons. Getting into nature with a camera can have some unexpected consequences. In addition to feeling refreshed, there are lessons to be learned from viewing the world through the lens of a camera - more than how to use a camera, and more than how to make a great composition. There are deep life lessons available when one becomes still and learns to see in a new way. Here are three life lessons I've learned by experiencing nature through the lens... Lesson 1 - Letting GoJust as trees freely release their leaves, so can we choose to freely release that which the mind stubbornly holds as truth...even when the heart knows differently. Freeing our imagination helps us to reconnect with our heart-centered, intuitive selves. Through the lens of a camera, we have an opportunity to slow down and shift our attention to the shapes, colors, and textures of life simply by relaxing our focus. Look at the image below. With a relaxed focus, we can ask: What does my heart see?
Lesson 2 - ImpermanenceWhen witnessing nature, we can see that there is exquisite beauty to be found in the cycles of life and death. We can find beauty in imperfections, in the cracks, in the decay, in the slow unfolding. When we accept change within nature, it's easier to accept our own impermanence. With photography, we use our cameras to freeze a moment in time, but nature doesn't stop cycling. Look at the two images below. What has changed?
Lesson 3 - Embracing ShadowsWe are taught that light and dark are in constant battle with one another. When we clear out those conditioned thoughts, we can look at our experiences and we begin to understand that life is more nuanced, that we are not all one thing. When we step into the shadows, it becomes easier to see the nuances that makes your subject unique. Look at the image below. What textures are seen from within the shadows?
What nature photo experiment will you try?
 Nature-based art supports a mindful life. When I go into nature, I am fully alive, energized, and in-tune with the world. Noticing beauty in nature has been my most consistent practice in mindfulness. When we practice mindfulness, there are beneficial opportunities. We have a chance to:
Since the term mindfulness is an abstract concept, here are a few ways one might describe the experience.
 Nature-based art is a wonderful tool in helping us to simply secure our connection to a meaningful, healthy life. Bringing nature-based art into our homes, offices, and social media spaces, we can receive the benefits of a mindfulness practice as we go about our day-to-day lives. Here are three ideas for beginning a nature-based art mindfulness practice:
Mindfulness is a practice; it becomes easier and more beneficial over time. Nature imagery can make your mindfulness practice simple, accessible, and stress-free. How have you used art + nature to stay mindful?
 Beauty. Courage. Curiosity. Love. Nature photography has helped me become more aware of my values. I keep these values in focus by regularly exploring nature with my camera.  Yes. It’s absolutely possible to make great images using your camera on automatic and pointing the lens at nature’s stunning beauty. To tell your story through images, though, takes self-awareness, thoughtfulness, an understanding of the way your camera sees, and an ability to navigate manual settings - even on a cell phone.
I’ve found that by taking on the challenges of making meaningful images with a camera, I've also been presented with ample opportunities to become more aware of my surroundings, which has slowly changed the way I see the world. Being thoughtful, understanding, and capable in making images has transformed not only my photographs, but also my life. How has your life been impacted by nature photography?
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