by Malinda VanDyne  imagesbyvandyne.com

What about landscapes draws you to them?

Is it difficult to overcome the urge to kick off your shoes and run across a field of blooming clover? Does the sunlight dancing on a pool of water captivate you so much that you begin to walk toward it? I admit to thoughts like those.

Rather than lose control of the situation, I let my camera be my intermediary. If I can visually capture nature calling me, I not only avoid possible embarrassment, I create a means to relive the memory.

For instance, something about this curved waterfall mesmerized me. It was a challenge to my self-control to not dive into the water. My camera saved me. As I look at the ropey strands of water in the photo, my mind returns to the experience of gazing at the waterfall

Can you imagine the sensation of touching a fuzzy plant? That’s what my camera allowed me to do with this plant from a distance. Now, I have a memory to revisit with the bonus of knowing I did not damage the plant by touching it. 

This is why I enjoy landscape photography. I can appreciate nature without being intrusive. My reward is an assortment of photos that let me repeatedly enjoy nature.