Leaves Another Capture of Natures Beauty

As a Nature Photographer, I see photography as a way to capture and record nature, culture and history through my camera lens. In my opinion, the camera lens has its boundaries and limits. Great nature photography requires the human eye, feelings of the heart, honed skills as well as a profound spiritual dialogue with nature. These aspects are equally important to the experience, as is the mechanics of a high quality camera and lens. The human and spiritual eyes are what influence what is captured for the record. The feelings of the heart add another feature to what is saved at a moment in time that may never be repeated. Nature photography is a language all its own. Nature itself is many moments of multifaceted, multidimensional beauty. The nature photographer needs both an open heart and mind, and a willingness to accept and respect nature for all that it is. The nature photographer should be excited about the energy flow from nature; to 'partner' with it. Nature must be respected without the threat of being altered or controlled. In other words, the nature photographer must be friendly, kind and in synch with nature; nature, in turn, will, if it desires, respond with its most beautiful offer. There is a constant dialogue between the nature photographer and all other features of nature, such as the leaves, birds, bees and trees, the flowers, mountains and seas, the raindrops, windstorms, and snowfalls upon the hilltops, and the sunrises during the summer, spring, winter and fall. Oftentimes the dialogue between the nature photographer and nature is non-verbal, motionless... spiritual. Sometimes I must sit with patience and wait for the bird subject to make the perfect pose or I must position myself and wait for the sun to make its final set for the evening. As a Nature Photographer, I see nature as a perfect picture just waiting to be captured. The perfection of nature's beauty has established a high standard of photography for me. In nature's beauty, nothing is planned or rehearsed. I have to train and condition myself to be ready to meet the essence of nature's beauty and surprises. When I catch nature's beauty on film as a memory of a beautiful moment in time, I will share it with the world as my spiritual dialogue with nature. And as people from around the world expand their appreciation and dialogue with nature, I believe the world will be a more beautiful place in which to live.