If I wouldn’t have chosen divorce nine years into my past relationship, we would’ve been together 25 years today. Instead of growing through marriage, I continue growing and healing through nature. 

Since moving back to St. Paul, MN four months ago, I’ve encountered more woodpeckers than I’ve encountered across my entire lifespan. There’s a Pileated Woodpecker I often see in my apartment courtyard and, because of my woodpecker neighbor, this is the first year I’ve known their laughter. It might’ve taken me 41 years to understand the theme of Woody Woodpecker, but I finally get it. I hear you, Woody!

Over the decades, I’ve become very aware of my sensitivity to sound. In fact, I think sound was one of a few factors in my divorce. I have a high startle response; I wake up to subtle noises in the night; I can’t have my stereo volume past four on a scale of eleven; my skin crawls when the TV is kept on for "background noise"; if I'm lost while driving or there's snow/rain/traffic, I have to turn the car radio totally off; and I have heard "damn, you have good hearing," by more people than I can count. It’s often a curse and can be a point of contention. Today, I intentionally focused on the blessing.

When I went to my local park to share the nature love this afternoon, I knew I was going out to focus on sounds because of a prompt from fellow mindful photographer Kim Manley Ort and her 2021 project "Seeing Clearly." In the woods of my local park today, and pretty much every time I hike there, I hear 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 started thinking about how many times I’ve banged my head against the same person/problem/experience over and over, even when it was not the least bit nourishing. That’s exactly how I stayed in an unhealthy relationship for nearly a decade. 

>>> I need to take a quick detour from this woodpecker metaphor to acknowledge the sudden, tragic passing of my ex-husband in 2019. I  grew up (literally and figuratively) through our relationship. May he rest in peace. <<<

Nature photography is an experience I'm happy to continue banging against. It's something I've worked at for 25 years and, while the intention behind it has evolved and there have been real challenges I've had to overcome, it has been mostly nourishing - even when I don't get the image I intend on the first attempt or the final attempt!

I've attempted to photograph this tree with the woodpecker excavations multiple times. This last time, 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?

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The photo collection below is a project inspired by fellow artist, Ann Taylor. Ann took the people portraits. I took the plant portraits.
 
This project is a demonstration of collaboration...and mutual admiration. 
This experience offered a lesson on vulnerability.  
Theses photos are an experiment in perspective. ​​

Many thanks to Ann for sharing this day with me, for photographing me so beautifully, and for bringing new insight to a beauty lover's perspective. 

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The photographic strategy of using leading lines to pull in the viewer's attention is a common strategy for composing images that create interest. The idea behind leading lines is to make an image that leads the eye to the main subject of the image. A leading line paves an easy path for the eye to follow through different elements of a photo.

Just as the rule of thirds, which can be read by clicking here, leading lines is another concept that can easily be found on Google, but here I'm using shapes as lines. Shapes still keep the eye moving, and they also have the potential to communicate a more personal narrative while enhancing the traditional approach with greater meaning. 

Before I move into my personal insights, I want to be clear: this is by no means the only way to view leading lines, shapes, movement, or any abstract concept. Feel free to take what you want and leave the rest and/or adapt it to your own culture, values, spiritual beliefs, and personal experience. Continue reading below for examples of how to use lines and shapes to tell a story. 

Two or more subjects next to each other on a horizontal line create a sense of stability, calm, balance. Try imagining the horizontal line as balancing scales.

In the images below, I find the horizontal composition of the yellow marigolds more pleasing than the purple coneflower. The yellow marigolds have a more connected, peaceful presence. Their inherent shape and unique essence work well for creating stability, calm, and balance.

Interestingly enough, finding two or more coneflower blossoms that were naturally in a horizontal line from each other was a real challenge. After this experiment, I'm quite certain they don't have any intention to be viewed as stable, calm, and balanced!

What nature subjects make you feel stable, calm, and balanced?

Two or more (three or more is my preference) subjects on a diagonal line create an active, dramatic scene that builds tension. Try imagining the diagonal line as steps to climb. 

I think both flowers are able to pull off the drama in the images below, but I think the marigolds are benefited by the dark, contrasting background and the diagonal running both ways - one with the full blossoms and one with the unopened buds. Personally, I prefer the drama and movement created by the coneflower blossoms and there were plenty of natural options for finding them on the diagonal.  Which do you prefer?

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When considering shapes, tune into your subjects. What is their natural movement? Is it balanced and calming? Majestic and powerful? Active and dramatic? Gentle and comforting? Chat with your subjects and allow them share their story with you. Listen closely and you'll be able to make an intentional image that honors their natural movement. 

Traditionally, the rule of thirds is a composition technique in which an image is divided evenly into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, and the subject of the image is placed at the intersection of those dividing lines, or along one of the lines itself. If you want to know more about the technical approach, Google has a vast amount of information on this rule. 

I've been aware of this rule for two decades, but it wasn't until very recently that I noticed a pattern of mine: I tend to place my subject on the right side of the frame and either have a secondary subject or leave empty space on the left (when looking through the lens). Once this came into my awareness, I started to get curious about why that is, and what I came up with is based on my culture, values, spiritual beliefs, and personal experiences. 

I already knew that I valued photography because it facilitates a spiritual, mindful, and calming connection with the Earth. What I came to realize over time is that my ways of understanding the world connect the feminine, subtle, receptive with the left side, and the masculine, strong, active with the right side.

As I looked through my images, I had a sense that when I left space on the "feminine," left side, I felt called to slow down, take space, go inward. Using that insight as a baseline, I created a personal framework for using the rule of thirds to communicate a more personal narrative through images and to enhance the traditional approach with greater meaning. 

Before I move into my personal insights, I want to be clear: this is by no means the only way to view the rule of thirds, feminine/masculine, mind/body/spirit, or any abstract concept. Feel free to take what you want and leave the rest and/or adapt it to your own culture, values, spiritual beliefs, and personal experience. Continue reading below for examples of how to use the rule of thirds to tell a story. 

The framework for the horizontal line placement below came from my background in portrait photography, where I started working when I was 17 years old. 

​For portraits, we were taught that lowering the camera and looking up created a sense of power and greater presence, and that raising the camera and looking down created a softness and a gentle presence. To be honest, we were also taught to photograph men looking up at them to make them appear more powerful and women looking down on them to make them appear thinner. So, there's that... 

What I like about photographing nature subjects in this way is that is looking up helps me understand the big, powerful, and all-encompassing perspective of nature and I feel a part of that power. In looking down, I feel a sense of awe for each tiny detail in nature and I feel humbled to be connected to such wonder. 

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Try changing your position - knowing my subject and shifting left a bit created a thin highlight that separated the leaves from the background and softened the image, aligning with my style and intentions. Minor changes in your position can help highlight your subject. 

Try getting closer vs. zooming - knowing my subject and my preference for soft, gentle images, zooming in is more aligned with my style and intentions. The spots of light and extra background shown when getting closer still feels too busy for me. Regardless of the camera (DSLR or phone), zooming should cause the background to appear closer than it is in real life.

Try blurring the background - knowing my subject was this group of leaves and not the woods themselves, the image with the blurred background is more aligned with my intention. There are many options for blurring the background of your photo, but it will require experimenting with the technology you use. To blur the background here, I used a wide aperture on my DSLR. ​

Once you're clear about your subject and are ready to use your camera to tell more complex stories, intentional camera blur is a great way to experiment with using your technology to tell your viewer more about your subject. For a simple, well-structured tutorial on shutter speed, camera gear, and intentional blur, please check out "10 Great Tips to Capture Unique Motion Blur Photos," a beautifully composed photo blog by Anisha Singh at Pixpa by clicking here. ​

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When you get clear about your subject, know your style preference, and get familiar with your technology, you can be more intentional about making images that are simply beautiful. 

When photographing landscapes, it's been easier for me to immediately identify what captures my interest. When photographing nature's details, though, it can be a bit more challenging to know what to capture. As a starting place, I slow down and look for textures, connections, movement, variation, uniqueness, asymmetry, contrast, layers, and patterns. 

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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. ​

Having a nurturing space can provide support and comfort when processing difficult emotions. Spending time in nature has helped me connect with my own grief, which has allowed for deeper connections with myself, my friends and family, and my purpose. It's helped me integrate multiple tragedies into my life story while maintaining mental health.  

The following questions came to me while photographing Rice Lake State Park in Owatonna, MN. They have helped me begin to write a new narrative while navigating trauma. If you find yourself processing difficult emotions, try asking yourself: 

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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...

Just 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?

When 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? 

We 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?

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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: 

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