The Fine Art of a Good Wandering ~

Seems this has been a particularly creative period for me, and I think it's because I've taken the opportunity to get out more to just look at, and appreciate, the world around me. The more I unwind, re-wind, and meditate, the more the world opens up to me in ways I hadn't always recognized before. When I was searching about for a topic to post, Whitney made the simple suggestion to write about our walkabouts, post some pictures, and muse idly about the results. Wandering, you see, is a simple act, and photography, a simple path.

When I can, I travel with my digital camera gear: a good Canon DSLR and a couple lenses. I'm a photographer and I like my tools. But quite honestly, the most creatively liberating device I own right now is my trusty little iPhone. It's always with me, so there's no excuse for not looking at the world with a critical eye for the beautiful things, or the interesting things, or the challenging things, and making a picture. I don't worry about its limitations compared to my professional equipment, because I'm really only interested in seeing something and sharing it online. But having said that, may I point out the picture on the left was taken in Watkins Glen NY least year, with my iPhone, and I have no quarrels with its image qualities.

Wandering can just as easily be a state of mind, and I think that's the real heart and soul of creativity. A couple months back I was in the studio preparing for a portrait client who had to reschedule at the last minute. Instead of being disappointed I was quite happy to find an entirely new creative opportunity with some of the season's first tulips.

But in the end, we wander to go places and see things. No one exemplifies this better than my wonderful brother Jim, a wanderer, a healer, a craftsman. Few photographers inspire me as much, and I'm enjoying the results of his long hike in Arizona to the Wave.

Daniel Boone once said "I've never been lost. I have wandered about a bit confused as to my whereabouts from time to time, but I've never been lost".

Neither have I.


Happy Trails,

Dave