I walked right past it
It’s a safe bet to say that we all live busy lives, and often we can fall into the trap of taking for granted the things we see every day.
When Vicky and I lived in Perth, one thing we always wanted to do was to take a trip to Rottenest Island. If you have never heard of that place, it’s where the Quokka can be found. You know, the one that has been labelled as the happiest animal on earth. Anyway, we had all the time in the world to visit…
Except we never did, because ‘there’s always tomorrow, next week, next year,’ and before we knew it, we were moving to the other side of the county and then the world.
How many times, have you seen a nice new cafe or a holiday spot you’ve always wanted to go to, only to continuously put it on the “maybe next time” list. Well, I am certainly guilty of this, and it goes double for my photography. I can’t count how many times while living in Australia and saw something stunning while driving in the outback only to not stop and photograph it because I had get-there-it is or because I can always come back another time. One of those times that stands out to me was in 2008 when I went on a solo round Australia trip, I was heading to Sydney from Victoria. I saw myself travelling to Wollongong which is on the coast just south of Sydney. I was at the top of a plateau and at its edge just where the road starts to descend was a lookout. It was just as easy as poling over and stopping to take in the view, but for some reason, I didn’t. I’m not saying there would have been a spectacular image to capture but I will never know because I let the opportunity pass by. Well, more like I passed by the opportunity.
It is only in the last few years since I picked up the camera again that I have realised just how much I missed while living in Australia. This is something I am amending while living in North Wales. While working on the last assignment of my bachelor’s degree, I made sure to explore small things like flowers, seeds and moss, along with other small things I would normally pass by while looking for a landscape photo. And I am doing the same with my current project exploring what can be found on the beach.
.
I’m not saying that life is not as busy as it used to be, I’m not saying that at all. I have 4 kids, so life is a crap-tone busier than it was. What I’m saying is that I am learning to make sure I am not passing by the things that may seem small and insignificant.
