Appreciation

Appreciation is one of the greatest gifts. The ability to stop to observe and to absorb a moment, a place, a thing, to truly appreciate it, is a wonderful sensation. This is what I get from photography: it becomes the reason I stop and appreciate where I am and what I get to experience. It is often, for me, small things. The patterns in a leaf, the color of a rock, the shape of a tree. The seemingly insignificant things that are part of something so big and wonderful.

It is in this moment that I feel what I am doing matters. What I am creating with my camera might bring someone a small bit of joy or appreciation. If nothing else, it is providing that for myself, and I hope that makes me a slightly better person to be around. Having these moments to look back on, to carry with me throughout my days, gives me a little piece of joy and appreciation that is mine to keep and share with everyone.  

 It is all too easy to take things for granted these days—especially the little things. And this is why I am grateful to be able to get out into nature and appreciate the little things. The silence, the gentle sound of a soft breeze through the leaves. The delicate structure of a mushroom, the intricate patterns in a tree's bark. These are small things that are easy to overlook, but when you take the time to notice them and appreciate them, there is a moment of still appreciation that cannot be beat.