Feel before you think

It can be hard to switch off our thoughts and truely immerse our selves in a sense of place.  So many thoughts running through our heads. That’s even before we start musing on compositions or projects.  I love getting lost in thought.  

Yet, being a creative means feeling more and working from instinct.  Well, initially anyway. Hard.  Yes, very hard. But a worthy goal.  

Leaving the camera in the bag for a while and letting your body feel, your eyes see, and your heart connect is very worthwhile.  What is country telling you? What are you feeling?  What is pulling you? What are you attracted too?  A good time to wander with no fixed plans or ideas.

This tree caught my attention.  It tugged at me. It sucked me in, and half an hour latter and some photographs I emerged again.  Hard to remember exactly what I was doing.  I think I tried to circumnavigate this beautiful tree searching for clean backgrounds.   

A bird flies through and you snap away.  Trying desperately to hold the composition.  

Now, I can look back and analyse the image.  Figure it out. And work out how to milk it into a print.  If I pull the highlights to white it starts to fail. Rules get tossed out. Mist is like that.  Doesn’t like photographic rules.  

Feel before you think is great advice.  

Narrow Neck Road, Katoomba. The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. Photograph and text copyright ©️ Len Metcalf 2018