Report From PIA – October 3
Today it rained as if God was trying to float Noah’s ark. Needless to say, not much gardening was done. Rainy days are excellent times for reflection, however, not to mention doing those I’ll-get-to-that-someday jobs such as sorting the files of digital photographs. Today I sorted the photos I took at the Garden Writers meeting in Raleigh.
As I looked through these files, I realized that some of the pictures that I’d taken were snapped as I waited to get a clear shot at something else. On these GWA outings, there are often 45 to 100 other people in the same small garden, so getting the images you want is part patience and part speed photography.
While I waited for people to clear the area, I looked through the camera for other pleasing arrangements of plants, often finding things that I never would have zoomed in on had I not been waiting for that other view to clear.
This reminded me of a remark made by Rich Pomerantz, a professional photographer from Connecticut, when he was talking about the importance of taking your time to compose a photograph. He said, “It’s called a viewfinder, not a view-grabber.”
Good advice for photography, certainly, but useful for our lives as well. How often do we grab onto an opinion, food or product without thinking about the ramifications of embracing what we’ve latched onto? I’m thinking of the times when I get on my high horse about something, don’t spend enough time really understanding the full spiritual experience, or eat a less than nutritious, and frankly, not all that tasty, snack just because it happens to be within grabbing distance when I’m hungry.
Perhaps we’d all be better off if we used our own personal viewfinders and took our time finding the best view.
This is the shot I was waiting about ten minutes to take. Finally all the people cleared out.
But if I hadn't had to wait, if I didn't have to take my time, I would have missed this one, and others.
