“Quiet people always know more than they seem. Although very normal, their inner world is by default fronted mysterious and therefore assumed weird. Never underestimate the social awareness and sense of reality in a quiet person; they are some of the most observant, absorbent persons of all.”
― Criss Jami

I sit here tonight after a brief trip back to Bancroft to swap out photos I’m showing at an artists’ co-operative in Bancroft, Ontario. The co-op is called A Place for the Arts and I’m honoured to have been invited to participate in this wonderful place. I’ve met and engaged with fellow artists, including several very talented photographers. We all have very distinct styles and approaches to our art. I enjoy my times there, as I have learned so much just by spending time with other artists, as I begin to see through their eyes.

What really struck me during my two and a half hour drive north was how incredibly the forest has changed in the past three weeks, since I was last in the area. A few snow falls have pulled more leaves from the trees and compressed the ones already on the ground. More significantly, the colours, once glowing and full of energy, are now a muted brown.

I fondly recall the moment above, as I sat on a high ridge above two large beaver ponds, amazed by the bright colour and light, on the ground and in the sky. If you follow your eyes, there appears to be a path that leads into the distance over the undulating ground. There actually is a natural game trail that leads into the distance. The destination? The beaver dam that separates the two ponds and a natural escape from predators. If animals, especially deer, in this case, did not take this route, they would have to travel nearly half a mile to get around the water. It is well-travelled.

I sat on this ridge for nearly two hours, taking in this glorious view and warming in the warm sunshine. The forest around me was a wonderland and every detail etched itself in my memory. The whole scene felt dream-like in its serenity. Every detail, opening up to reveal itself, in time. I need to write more about this experince, but want to keep my posts brief. Perhaps tommorow?

Have you ever taken the time to just sit, with no distractions, and let nature reveal itself? It’s worth the time and changes how you see the natural world, just like my experience with my artist friends, as you spend time observing, it changes your entire perspective, at least in my experience.

So, it seems appropriate that this juncture of ponds can be applied as a juncture of my way of seeing things, another path between points of view.

iPhone 5s back camera @ 4.2mm
1/800 sec;   f/2.2;   ISO 32

High Resolution image available on 500px

For more images like this, please visit my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/EdLehming
or my website (some images available for purchase)
http://www.edlehming.com