Oviedo, FL: Few things bring me into the present moment faster than taking photographs. Maybe it’s not the actual act of the picture-taking so much as the hunting for a shot. Because of the nature of the subject matter I prefer, I have to be aware of everything around me. All of my senses are on high alert. The change in light and shadow created by clouds or tree branches, the hum of a bee or snap of a twig, the fragrance of a flower, the tail wind of a bird or stillness of an oncoming storm.
The gift in critter hunting for me has been a heightened awareness of my surroundings. Rather than becoming complacent to the beauty around me I have become much more appreciative and awestruck by what was once so mundane, just backdrop to my everyday life. Watching this lone bee flit from flower to flower, grasping the outside edges of his chosen paramour and curling around it, while he poked and prodded with his proboscis to get the most nectar possible, completely captivated me. It was a love story. He was hugging and kissing each flower.
While capturing bits of nature in a photograph is important and fun to me, the act of taking the picture allows me to be completely present and part of the process I’m observing. The process of being present then becomes the gift. The photo is a bonus.
Allison's Wanderland 