Nature Connection
And Photography
Nature connection (often referred to as Nature Connectedness) can be thought of in various ways - but most often we relate it to:
. The ways in which we engage with nature through our senses.
. The mental and physical benefits we derive from our time outdoors amongst nature.
. Our relationship with the natural world - specifically, how we identify ourselves as a part of the bigger picture.
This is, of course, an over-simplification for the sake of quick reference and the idea will be something of an alien concept for a lot of people - but it’s a good starting point for anyone looking to take further interest.
So where does photography come into it?
Well, my take is perhaps a little niche, as you might imagine! The premise is quite straightforward, though:
. We know the camera is a tool that allows us to document not just our surroundings, but how we experience them - this has always been the case. But at a more natural level, I believe the camera also allows us to be more present; it allows us to stop, ponder a while and capture our emotions and experiences by interpreting light, atmosphere, pockets of detail or whatever we encounter during our time outdoors.
The simple pleasure of exploring and stumbling upon unusual, unexpected or visually pleasing scenes is facilitated by even the simplest of cameras; to put emphasis on the technical side of the process is to over-complicate matters.
In such a busy modern world, photography - the act of creating photographs, whatever that looks like to us individually - is the conduit which can give us the much-needed permission to connect with nature.