Capturing Nature's Soul

I am by no means a professional photographer. That doesn’t stop me from taking pictures and trying to creatively frame the splendor of nature. In fact, there are times when I surprise myself with the quality of a picture that I have taken of a landscape or close-up of a plant. Many amateur photographers such as myself are able to capture natural nuances (i.e. lightning flashes, brilliant sunrises/sunsets, or an animal in a humorous pose) without much understanding how or why we were able to do it. We just snapped the photo, and we got what we got. Once in a while I will attempt to compose a photograph, but a lot of the time I just wildly flail about and hope to take a picture of something unique and/or beautiful.
When a person has a camera in hand, he or she possesses the potential for a very powerful creative energy. I love to take pictures of various flowers from different angles. Sometimes I even talk to them, saying things like, “Yes, yes! That’s it! Hold that pose! You’re an animal! Rawr! Rawr! Okay, maybe you’re not technically an animal, but pretend like you’re an animal just for today…” It works well for the tiger lilies.
Taking pictures outdoors is even better when a moose or eagle appears and decides to grace an already beautiful landscape. I find myself snapping multiple pictures in those rare moments. I’m not quite sure why. When I visited Bryce Canyon a couple weeks ago, a fat, old raven was sitting on a sign and I had to take a few pictures of it. Fifteen minutes later, at a different viewpoint, another raven (maybe the same one, I don’t really know; I wasn’t tracking it) was sitting on the stone wall overlooking the canyon, and once again I had to snap a few pictures. It’s like I had to prove that the raven was there and that we shared a moment together. I’m not sure what the raven got out of that moment, but I felt like I was a better person for being able to interact with it. I even asked it what it was thinking, because it had a contemplative look about it, but it continued to stare off into space, probably pondering the comical nature of humans. Weird, I know.
Oftentimes nature does what it does without consulting humans about what it’s going to do or already did. I’ve never received a letter in the mail notifying me that a bear is about to appear at such-and-such a place in the mountains at such-and-such a time, so I should have my camera ready then. Radio announcers never announce that the sky is about to shift from a light blue to a radiant pink-orange within minutes. These are things that we have to capture in the moment. I have missed many an opportunity to encapsulate the beauty of a fleeting rainbow or extraordinary cloud pattern simply because I did not have a camera with me at the time. That’s life, I suppose. We’re either prepared for it, or wishing that we were.
Despite nature’s fickleness, you have a couple of chances this week to capture some natural rarities. Have you ever seen an albino rainbow trout? You have the chance to get up close and personal with the odd fish at Steinaker Reservoir if you call Ron Stewart at (435) 781-5311 to set up a visit. Think of the shocking photos you could snap. Or if you’d rather pursue a more exotic species, consider helping scientists hunt for the eggs of the Columbia spotted frog near the Provo River drainage. For more information regarding the frog eggs, contact Chris Crockett at (801) 491-5655 (work) or (801) 234-9639 (cell).
Sharing photographs with friends and family can be fun, especially when those photographs depict the grandeur that is all around us. What’s great about outdoor photography is that you don’t have to work for National Geographic to enjoy it. Many people are able to send their amazing pictures to KSL or Fox News and they will sometimes display the photos on websites or even on the evening news. So get out there and flail about with your camera. I wish you success in capturing nature at her best!