thoughts on photography

I finally, after about eighty attempts, got a decent picture of a hummingbird and a butterfly in our garden.I just bought a telephoto lens, and have been having fun figuring out how to use it. The garden is full of beauty and inspiration right now, and actually getting these pictures felt like winning a prize. Have you ever tried to capture a hummingbird on film? You just focus in on them and they go buzzing away. Or, their little wings beat so very quickly that all of your pictures are blurry. Same goes for butterflies, but they seem to flit about with an effortless grace, as opposed to a hummingbirds nervous energy.

I always enjoy taking pictures. I have had no lessons (other than a free "learn to use you camera" class) and have no photo editing software. I am certainly not a professional, and am very grateful for digital photography which allows me to erase my many bad pictures.

One thing I have just come to realize is that sometimes I get so caught up in getting a good picture that I don't truly notice and enjoy the moment. This evening, a warm breeze was blowing, the garden was sweetly scented, my children begged me to run races with them, and the sun was shining golden on the Cascades- a truly lovely evening. I was so busy trying to catch a good picture of the hummingbird that I didn't really step back and enjoy the evening, or watch the humming birds play or just sit down and rest. Tomorrow evening, I think I will make a date with the garden, and leave my camera inside!