Friday, October 31, 2008

just look



We explored this slot canyon just outside Page, AZ. (The first pic is Jon at the entrance.) We were there at the same time as a photography group, carrying their tripods and much fancier digital cameras and even light meters.

At one point, a man said, disappointedly to one of the leaders, “I’m just not finding anything.” Before I had a chance to say anything, the leader told him he would take this man to an area where he would find something he liked.

What I wanted to tell him was this: put down your camera, stand in one place and just look. Look at and experience all that is around you. The shapes, the colors, the light. The layers upon ancient layers of sandstone. Just look.

Since Jon wielded the camera most of the time we were in the canyon, that’s what I was doing, experiencing the canyon without the filter of a framed lens. It was refreshing not worrying about how a shot would turn out. And maybe it helped me notice things just a little bit more.

4 comments:

Jen said...

Is this Antelope Canyon?? Love that place!!

MELI. said...

wow, looks like a real-life o'keefe painting. awesome pictures!!

corinne said...

Once when I was coming out of Denali, someone driving in stopped me and asked "is there anything to see in there?" Some people can't just be in a place and appreciate its unique beauty. Thanks for the reminder to slow down and just be. That's when the good photos ... like the ones you've posted ... come to you.

bikegirl said...

Yes! It's lower Antelope Canyon. And it was so beautiful. I felt like I was inside a clay pot.

I'm glad Jon was in photographer mode to capture it for us.