Old Wooden Fence
You can blame this (sort of) on Dewitt Jones (I have written about Dewitt before). I pass this fence almost every day as my dog and I walk to the park, but I pay it almost no attention.
But last night I re-read a 2012 article by photographer Dewitt Jones. Dewitt kept hearing the words of photographer Minor White, “When I go out to shoot I don’t ask, ‘What will I take today?’ But rather, ‘What will I be given today?'” It is about a change in perspective and the belief that, if our eyes are open, the Universe will present beauty to us every day.
So today on our walk, I looked at this fence like I’ve never looked at it before. I saw the curves and lines and texture and paused long enough to create a few images with my iPhone before I continued on.
There is beauty and wonder all around us if we open our eyes to see. Instead of thinking about taking, what if we began every day by asking “What will I be given today?”
Photo Data: iPhone 4S. 4.3 mm (in 35mm: 35.0 mm). 1/294 sec, f/2.4, ISO 50. Processed on the iPhone with PS Express and Snapseed, two of my favorite apps. Final resizing and sharpening with Adobe Photoshop.
Dewitt Jones is a world class photographer. I became acquainted with him through his columns in Outdoor Photographer magazine and the 20 years he was a photographer with the National Geographic. He works with first class clients doing commercial photography, he leads photography seminars, and he is one of the nations most sought after keynote speakers.
Links
Outdoor Photographer article: “Dailies. Dedicate yourself to a regimented program and gifts may just seem to come your way” by Dewitt Jones.
Celebrate What’s right With the World. Daily celebrations and weekly images by Dewitt Jones. Be sure to watch The Film.