Chasing Joy

This was a magical day! A day that I was truly immersed in what I was doing, when everything around me melted away, and there was only me and the subject I had pointed my camera at. It is a feeling hard to put into words. It is excitement and calmness, in the same moment. It is what you hope for with every outing, but one that rarely comes into being. 

What made this day so special was the subject, at least in part. It was a beautiful river running through a tree-shrouded canyon, the perfect backdrop for one of my favorite subjects to photograph—water over rocks. I think what draws me to this subject (besides the obvious beauty) is the “Yin and Yang” of it all. The juxtaposition of movement and stillness. Flexibility of the water and the Stalwart attitude of the rocks. Complete opposites coexisting and shaping the surrounding landscape. So my appreciation for the subject matter certainly played a part in my absorption into the day.

It felt as though there were an endless number of falls and cascades. As the Rose River made its way down the canyon, there was a fall or cascade every 5 to 10 yards. It is a four-mile trail. That is many chances to get lost in photographic goodness if you ask me. I was up to my eyeballs in opportunity, and I loved it. This was the exciting part. At every turn, there was potential to create an image. 

Once I settled on the following subject, it was time to calm down. To let myself settle into what was before me. Focus on the particulars. What is it that truly draws me into this scene? Let the landscape talk to me. Try to be in touch with my experiences and emotions, and translate them into an image. To try and find a commonality between myself and what I see before me, and my camera. It is in that moment when everything else melts away, when it becomes a moment unto itself. That is where you find the joy.