I am the “goat herder” of our local photo group; we meet once-a-month at our local library.  I am sure members of our very informal group will tell you, they are tired of me reminding them to “don’t forget to look behind you.”  I probably say that at least once each meeting.  And it holds true for EVERYONE that is trying to make photos whether with their phone, happy snap point and shoot or the most advanced camera and lens combination out there.  

Don’t forget to look behind you, or to look up or around you.  You may miss that bear crossing the path just yards away (true story), the wolves trying to pass you in the trees on the side of the road or the eagles flying past the sun during sunset because you were so focused (get it, focused) on the cool late evening light on the eagles in front of you (another true story). 

There is so much happening whether you realize it or not, it is easy to get photographic tunnel vision and you become only aware of what you are looking at in front of you, where your camera is pointed.  My watch nags me to be mindful. I don’t think it’s idea of mindfulness and mine are the same.  Mine means having a certain clairvoyance in real time of the world around you. 

Of course you are interested in watching the eagle’s nest, hoping the eaglets leave the nest and fly while you are focused on them.  That would be awesome. Correct lens on the camera? Check. Exposure correct?  Check.  Framed well?  Check.  Focus mode set correctly?  Check.  Now, patience, patience and a little more patience.  It is easy to get tunnel vision and lose site of everything else happing around you.  If it were a video, this is where the lens would zoom out while the camera moves closer to the subject.   The eagle parents have both landed in a nearby tree and are sitting side by side on a branch with awesome golden light on them.  You don’t even know they are there until one leaves the nest and swoops by in your field of view.  Darn, missed it again.

Pilots talk about situational awareness.  This means being aware of EVERYTHING in your surroundings.  Translating this to a photographer in the field…is my battery fully charged,  do I have the right lens, is my other lens/camera easily accessible, do I have room on the card? Am I aware that the sun is about to break through the clouds?  Or that there is a group of deer off to the right that I had not previously noticed.  

When skiing, my son talks about having his head on a swivel, that is, he is constantly checking around him to make sure that he is not impeding other skiers and other skiers are not approaching his zone of safety.  Whether it is eyes in the back of your head, your innate radar or having someone keeping their eyes on things for you, it is important to own your surroundings.  I started to type know your surroundings, but my spell checker liked “OWN” better, and I think it is right.  So, own your surroundings for those unique easily missed photo opportunities.

Thanks for stopping by and looking around.