Tomorrow is Earth Day, April 22nd, and I couldn’t have planned a better image to talk about than “Down Natures Path”. Shot last year during Mothers Day, April 8th 2022, at Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens for yet another of my YouTube episodes, and during one HELL of a rain storm. I had the idea of shooting Floral Photography and posting a Happy Mothers Day video on my channel. Which turned out to be an absolute blast, even though the idea was last minute, my gear and me got absolutely drenched (always try to get weather sealed camera gear when possible), and I’d never been to Evergreen Arboretum before (so I lucked out there with a good location).
“Down Natures Path”
Roughly the 4th or 5th shot I’d taken after arriving at Evergreen Arboretum, which I usually need a few more than 4 or 5 to warm up, I wasn’t feeling to confident about this shot. Other big factors were due to how low the shot was to the ground, and not being able to see much through the rain on my screen, I really wasn’t sure if it would turn out that great if at all. But to my delight it turned out to be one of my more favorite shots of the day, second only to an image I got of a single dahlia placed in between two black iron gates that led into another section of the gardens.
To be honest, between the shot of “Down Natures Path” and the one of the Dahlia, I actually thought “Down Natures Path” was going to be knocked out of the first round of a voting poll I put up on my Facebook page not long ago. So to see it go all the way to the end, and be 1 of the 10 most liked photos that people voted for was a little shocking, awesome none the less but still shocking.
I guess it goes to show that something you thought was going to lead another way (or in this case end all together), might go a whole other direction instead. I’ve talked about this in previous posts, that I never knew where photography would take me, I had no plan or end goal, and I enjoyed seeing what new opportunities came from being open and willing to experience them. I can sit and think about the “big” events I’ve had, going from shooting local car meets to shooting Rally racing (and having no clue where that’ll keep going), driving by a graffiti mural one day which led to so many sub-paths it makes my head spin, or how a visit to go see my friend ended up teaching me lessons and providing me with photos to be featured in magazines and on restaurant walls.
But, it’s thinking and remembering the “small” events that I think I love the most, not to mention how much they’ve taught and meant to me along the way. Small event’s, like the one, have taught me not to give up if things aren’t “perfect conditions”, to enjoy spontaneity and planned events all the same way, and that a path (no matter how long or short) should be explored to its fullest potential.
Paths are unavoidable when exploring, sometimes you forge your own, sometimes you hit dead ends, and sometimes you never come across what would be “the end”.
So to all my photography friends, followers, and readers I’ll leave you with a quote from Pierre T. Lambert (one of my favorite adventure photographers), “Get out there and go shoot, try something different, try something new, and I’ll see you in the next one”.
If you’d like to watch my YouTube video “A Gift of the Original Mother, to All Mothers”, here is the link - https://youtu.be/C-jW7zNXCsA
As always, I hope you enjoy these posts and the photos I attach to them. If you’d like to continue this, or any other conversation, I’d love to talk and take inspiration for future writings. Feel free to email me at grimlockmedia@gmail.com
Catch y’all later.
Andrew Hoyle - Grimlock Media
