With the restrictions of a world dominated by a global pandemic, my travels during this fall colour season were somewhat diminished this year. From what I heard, in chatting with other photographers, many places, provincial parks , conservation areas, etc. were functioning on a ''reservations only'' basis. They were trying to control the number of people who access these places to view and photograph the sweeping vistas of colour. So, for the most part, I limited my fall colour photography to places and scenes I could access easily within a short walk from home. This year my images were often just a small burst of colour in the in the overall drama which is the fall colour season. My usual ''Autumn at the Dam'' photos were published with my last blog post. https://refractivereasoning.blogspot.com/2020/10/gratitude.html
My last blog post was entitled ''Gratitide'', published (appropriately enough) on the Thanksgiving weekend. One of the things in my life for which I'm grateful is being a photographer. The strange thing about it is that I don't always have to be actively engaged in the craft to experience the beauty and wonder of the scenes and situations in front of me. One beautiful Autumn morning I went to the dam near my home and just sat, savouring the beauty of the scene. Sometimes it's better to just be in the moment rather than fiddling about, trying to make a photograph of it. Sometimes less is more.
A few years ago, I saw the movie ''The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty''. The scene that stuck with me was the one where Walter Mitty finally connects with photographer Sean O'Connell played by actor Sean Penn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfjkiTB1fHQ
I remarked to the lady I was with, that I could completely relate to Sean Penn's character in that scene.
In reality, the cameras, the photographs are not the be all - end all of my existence. My photographs are, at best, an adjunct to the life I've lived. Through photography, I can more completely experience the wonder that is right in front of me whether I photograph it or not.
While photography is a method for me to share my perceptions of the world around me, ultimately, it is the perceptions themselves that matter most.
... more later
