A (photographic) lesson in life

Sometimes what you are looking for is right in front of you

A (photographic) lesson in life

This is a really short post, but a good lesson in photography, and life maybe....so worth a post....

I was on holiday recently in spain, and being a sucker for a some pics in the golden hour, I thought I would get up early one day and watch the sunrise over the sea. Now I much prefer sunrises & sunsets when there is a lot of cloud in the sky - as it makes for a more dramatic composition. But the weather being how it was on holiday (not a cloud in the sky all week - shouldn't complain really!) made for a sunrise which was a little less dramatic, and the chance for a decent photo was short-lived, see below.

Lesson #1 - Enjoy the moment:

Now the first lesson I need to learn more as a photographer, is that while the chance for a decent pic was limited - I shouldn't feel disheartened. The sunrise itself was a beautiful moment, and photo or no photo, it was a moment to be enjoyed, sitting in the warmth on a sandy beach, with the gentle waves lapping at my feet, whats not to be happy about in that moment? So note to self - enjoy beautiful scenery no matter what the conditions and enjoy & savour the moment more. A decent pic out of it is a bonus!

The sun rises on another day

Lesson #2 - Sometimes what you are looking for is right around you

So being a little disheartened at not getting many spectacular surise pictures, I did start to just enjoy sitting around on the beach at dawn and just soak up the morning sun. I then began to notice more around me - and there was a lone seashell lying around, and that made for a cracking pic. Completely unexpected and unplanned, but really happy with the composition (top and below). It was the sort of composition I hadn't really photographed before. It made for a beautiful pic to add to the collection.

So couple of things for me to learn more (and some advice maybe...) - when out and about with the camera - while expansive landscapes make for stunning and beautiful sights, you can also find beautiful sights right under your feet - just develop the eyes to see it!

On another level - a little life lesson; - Stop focussing on things in the distance (and future) all the time, and just enjoy what is around you now and where you are :-)

My favourite photo of the morning sunrise

So it turned out to be quite a productive morning sat by that Mediterranean Sea after all, and with a few pics to show for it, but more importantly it was a time that was enjoyed and with the added bonus of a little insight to life in the process :-)

Thanks for reading!

Post by Stuart Hodgson
'The Hiking Photographer'

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