by Nancy Fogel
“After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, and so on - have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear - what remains? Nature remains”.
Walt Whitman
“Nature remains”. After a day of work, or some free time from the mundane realities of life, it is nature that beckons me. The natural world compels me to contemplate and appreciate. Anything may catch my eye; from the expansive landscape to the tiniest details under my feet, and everything in between. It’s the light, the shadows, the colors, contrasts, natural geometry, and textures that grab my attention. Animate or inanimate, big or small, I notice what’s around me. As a photographer, I’ve become more aware of my surroundings. I try to convey its effect on me through my photography. I try to capture the moment and the emotion.
Photography is a passion. Photography is a commitment to nature, and to the environment. Photography is a way of life, an orientation, and a venture to see into things that would otherwise go unnoticed. It is an exercise in not just looking, but really seeing the subject for what it is, and what it means to me, and to the world. For me, it is an exercise in learning, defining, and identifying what I have seen, and then photographed.
Photography is not always convenient. Photography is a major challenge. It may involve climbing, jumping, crawling, or contorting my body in order to get the image that meets my satisfaction. I have fallen, pulled muscles, gotten poison ivy and bug bites, but never regretted my endeavors. The prize for this physical activity is two-fold; the experience of the outdoors, as well as bringing home that satisfying image. I must say, however, that photography is satisfying to me even without a good shot. I get out into the beautiful world of nature, which is primary. A good capture is the icing on the cake.
