Mindful Reflections

I don't really like using terms like shooting landscapes and taking a shot, though I sometimes use them without thinking. I prefer to think of a photograph of nature as a gift. We also appreciate gifts much more when we are not absorbed by other preoccupations. If I am out on my own I often find I am more receptive to my surroundings towards the end of a walk. I had to make a real effort today to leave the house and drive up onto the moor. During the second half of my walk I found that I was noticing things more which might otherwise seem ordinary. The trunk of this tree catching the late afternnon sunshine had an almost surreal quality and seemed like a gift from nature.