When we think of nature, we don't imagine ourselves in it. But we should.
Think of the phrase "nature photography." Close your eyes and visualize the images that come to mind when you think of that phrase. What do you see? Ducks, ponds, beaches, mountains, trees, pines, fall leaves, snow, deer, whales, swaying palms. Even desert sand dunes would be considered "nature," too, even though all those grains of sand aren't even alive. Even dead sand is considered nature. But you know one thing that isn't?
Yeah, yeah. I know you know what it is.
That's right: humans.
We say "nature" is everything but us. But I totally reject this.
Humans are never a part of nature photography. Have you ever wondered why that is? Why does our very definition of nature not include us?
Well, as we know in all other aspects of life, words matter and definitions matter. The way we define the term is the way we define ourselves. So we say "nature" is everything but us. But I totally reject this.
Time to reincorporate. Time to reintegrate.
We are nature.
So remember this one simple fact next time you are out in the wild. We are the wild. Our bodies belong here, too.
P.S. What's old is new again, as they say. Check out my post about this very same topic from 4 years ago: Mature Photography.
OK, good enough for now,
~ Quest Barely, all!
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Kemson Cooper is the creator of QuestBarely.com, a site about using the body as a path to explore the Self. He is also the author / artist of "Love Yourself ~ A Body of Work" (perhaps the world's first naked self-empowerment book)