Friday, April 4, 2014

Desert Scene at Sunset

Desert Beauty - Up Close & Personal

To truly appreciate the desert, I think one needs to take a close and intimate view.  While there are some quite large and 'showy' desert plants like the saguaro, joshua and ocatilla, many are seemingly not very impressive or even noticeable if you are looking out the window of a moving car.  At the end of our day of ATV riding, (when I took the last two posts), the light was almost gone after sunset and while Jeff was loading our RZRs on the trailer, I took a short walk out into the desert.  I was surprised at all I saw that I hadn't noticed from a few yards away.  I love this combination of the interesting, sharp spined barrel cactus, along with the delicate look of the tiny spring flowers.  I couldn't see any of this from the road.

So here are my thoughts for today.  Don't stand on the side of the road, or look outside your window and think that you are seeing all the beauty there is to see.  Take a stroll off 'the beaten path', or down the "road less traveled".  Take time to stop, listen, observe and look at the hidden beauty all around that most people don't see.  In other words, don't view nature as an outsider looking in.  Instead, be an actively, observant insider and you will not only increase you skills as a photographer, but even more importantly, you will gain greater reverence for our Creator who made this magnificent world we are privileged to live in and enjoy!

12 comments:

Ruth Hiebert said...

I love the photo but the words really are what want to remember from this post. May copy that last paragraph so I can re-visit it often?

MadSnapper said...

love those red flowers.. and the whole photo shows the pink glow from the sun

Mersad said...

What a wonderful image. And I so agree with your sentiment about wandering off the beaten path. Some of my favorite images have been taken there.

Mersad
Mersad Donko Photography

janc@mac.com said...

I love this picture and your comments. Sometimes, in our situation, on busses and scheduled with 80 students, we can't go off on our own or shoot anything but what we get out of a bus window with full bright sunlight in the middle of a day. I love the artistry of those who can choose otherwise and have an eye to see what to shoot to maximize the beauty of it all.

Unknown said...

Karen, what a wonderful image! I always try to get of the beaten track whenever it's possible.
I find my camera has made me far more observant than I ever was before!

Unknown said...

Karen, what a wonderful image! I always try to get of the beaten track whenever it's possible.
I find my camera has made me far more observant than I ever was before!

Unknown said...

Karen, what a wonderful image! I always try to get of the beaten track whenever it's possible.
I find my camera has made me far more observant than I ever was before!

Montanagirl said...

Oh MY! I don't think I even have any adequate words to describe the beauty of this photo. Perhaps "sublime" ?? FABULOUS!!

Hilary said...

Wise words, Karen.. and a lovely photo to match.

Laura~Pretty Pix said...

Truly beautiful image, Karen.. and I so agree with you to get out there and be one with your surroundings. I have also learned to stoop, squat, kneel, even lie flat to get that picture.
I love your work and how you approach photography.. I'd so love to go on a shoot with you.

Suzanne said...

Karen, my husband and I are taking a cross country train trip in late April. I will be shooting 'out the window' a lot. While I am grateful for the opportunity to see parts of this country that I might never have seen, the thought of missing the 'up close and personal' has been on my mind a lot. Thanks for reinforcing my conclusion to take every opportunity possible to be fully engaged with my surroundings. Amazing photo, as usual.

Rick said...

Bang on with the advice to get off the beaten path and really see the Creation with (re)new(ed) eyes!

Love this shot, and the previous two.