Outdoor Photography Magazine November 2009 Back Issue

What we would all do to live life in the slow lane, or at least a slower lane. As the swirl of everyday matters in our modern world seems to be getting faster and blurrier, our jaunts into the great outdoors to take photographs off er real chances to ease off the pace; to breathe more deeply and to observe more intently. Nothing is more relaxing than a mountain view, a tranquil lake, or lapping surf, is it? Well, despite Mother Nature’s best efforts, it is oft en harder than we think to shake off the tensions and urgency of our normal lives, and to be able to really sink into the wonder of being in a wild place. I’ve lost count of how many times I have got out there, only to spend the fi rst few hours flitting around, unable to settle on a good vantage point, not seeing any great image possibilities; my mind scuttling back and forth between shutter speeds and undone home chores. The most reliable solution I have found is to stop. Stop everything. Putting the camera down, sitting or lying down, maybe even shutting my eyes, allows nature the time and space to work its magic, and is often the route to getting better images, as well as having a far more relaxing time.