Читать книгу Down to the River and Up to the Trees: Discover the hidden nature on your doorstep - Sue Belfrage - Страница 20

A lot of the time we’re advised to switch off phones and electronic devices if we want to find peace and calm. However, there are ways in which modern technology can be an asset when it comes to connecting with nature. I, for one, enjoy taking photos with my phone when I’m out walking, and sharing the images on social media. I’ve even been known to stand on mountain tops with an iPad, clicking away.

My photos aren’t masterpieces by any manner of means, but pausing to take them means stopping in my tracks and taking a good look around – at the quality of light, the play of shadows, plant life, birds, animals, insects and the weather. All the same, I make sure I don’t just look through a lens – that the device doesn’t remain stuck in front of me like some sort of oblong obstacle – it’s a back-up: first I see something beautiful or striking, then I use the camera to capture the moment, not the other way round.

You could start your own record of images of nature, printing out your favourites and sticking them here in your journal, or sharing them online. Perhaps set yourself a challenge and take a photo a day for a week or a month? Your images could be of anything: the pattern raindrops make on glass, the way lichen speckles a wall, or a stunning view. Why not stick one of your favourite photos in a frame?