The Power of Taking Pictures--Thoughts on Wildflower Wednesday
When you capture an image or a moment in the shutter of a camera, the image isn’t just recorded on a strip of film or in a digital file, it is recorded in your mind as well.
Like writing a reminder on a piece of paper often alleviates us of the need to be reminded, or setting an alarm often causes us to wake up naturally before the alarm sounds, the action of consciously taking pictures captures the feelings, thoughts, sensations, and images of a moment in time and space.
When we push outward, we push inward.
Since I began writing on Steemit last August, I have been moving through my everyday surroundings more conscientiously, paying close attention to things, looking for images that I can use when I write about life in Japan. The effects this has had on me is profound.
Now, as I move through my day-to-day life, not only do I notice many new and interesting details, but I am often reminded of where I was and what I was doing months earlier. As I pass by past subjects of my photographs and return to the places of photographs I have used in my blog, the images I have taken and the feelings I had at that time return to me.
In a sense, it seems to me that photography has given my ‘Self’ more depth. My associations with objects, places, times of day, and seasons have become stronger.
This is one reason why I have really been enjoying these Photography Challenges (Tree-Tuesday, Wildflower and Beach-Wednesday, etc.). Not only do they help me to reach out and be aware of my environment, but they help me to reach inward as well.
Last week, as I rode to work, I saw this flower covered wall from across the road. At first, as I typically do, I rode passed it without stopping. But then I realized that if I didn’t stop right then and go back to take a picture of that wall, the moment I was in would never return. More so, I realized that no matter how much I wanted to, I would probably never find the time to return to this spot.
If it weren’t for Wildflower Wednesday, I probably would have kept on riding to work, and this wall and the flowers on it, this calm moment of sunshine and cool breezes on a busy morning before work would have been lost to me.
Sometimes it only takes the slightest push or the smallest of reasons to motivate us toward doing small and great things.
These are my favorite flowers here.
Great post!
Wow, I am so pleased that making up wildflower wednesday would have such a great effect on the other side of the world!!! Blessings flow here on Steemit! Resteemed
They definitely do. Thanks for starting this tag. I like it a lot a lot but didn't take the time to find out where it began.
I really like your thoughts on how the challenges cause us to be more mindfully aware. Cheers!
Thanks. It's interesting how they help us pay attention and look around us, isn't it? I really enjoy it.
nice :)
Thanks!
you got some good ones
I'm glad you like them! Thanks for the comment.
wow! wonderful flowers! great post, thanks !
Thank you. That's always nice to hear!
Wow, great captures my friend @boxcarblue
Thanks. They were beautiful flowers and really amazing natural arrangement.
very good reflections... :)
How was Europe? What brought you there?
A good friend of us works in Slovakia at the moment so we stay in his house and use it as a base to visit nearby countries. For the how question, I prefer not to give you a lot of cheap positive words for it, please wait for my post maybe... :)
Sounds good. I look forward to more posts about it. I have to check a map to see where exactly Slovakia is.
Yeah, so did I. It was actually very convenient (train/bus) to Vienna (2hrs), Prague (5hrs) and Budapest (4hrs)... all very attractive cities.
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an outstanding collection @boxcarblue great post
Thanks! I really liked these flowers. And like I said, I think these challenges/designated days are great!
Guess you're right @boxcarblue
Wow like a wall of flowers! Outstanding!
I thought so too. I'm glad I stopped to appreciate for ten minutes. When I went back this week, most of the petals had fallen to the ground already.