Slow Photography #54 : The Scents of Slowing Down

A rose. Honeysuckle. Blackberries. The wind in the pines. Skunk. The smell of the ocean . . .

What is your favorite natural smell ? Which smells makes you cringe? Do scents open up your vault of memories? 

Nature wafts aromas that are rich and varied. Instead of just looking at the details of nature that catch our eyes, we might also slow down to savor her scents, using all of our senses before we touch the shutter. 

Slow Down and Crawl

 As we taste, we inhale, pausing to savor subtle flavors. What does this have to do with slow photography? When we rush our craft and speed our steps, we miss nature's subtler scents and textures.

Photo walks in natural places are a good way to take our time. At times, I stop walking, and get down on the ground. I sit. I inhale. I listen and then crawl toward an aroma or a sound that is the photograph's subject.

Soaking up the aromas of a sunny, summer field at the hottest part of the day, our amazing sense of smell comes up with images on its own. These aroma-memories last for years. In an instant, we can recall the entire field of flowers if we get just one whiff of the same scent once again.

As photographers, we can tune in to sounds to guide our eyes. Nature writer Helen McDonald invites us to be better listeners. This skill does not come from our ears, but from deepening our will to hear. If we pay close attention, we can  sit in a field, listening, for minutes, and it doesn't really matter if have our eyes closed. Sounds and scents will happen. We don't need to see with our eyes all the time.

Imagine an afternoon by the ocean. The sound of the waves is joined by a flapping of wings. Looking upward, vultures appear. Instead of trying to make a photograph, feel the whoosh of the air, smell the scent of seaweed, feel the sand under your bare feet. With just these sensations to feel and see, I imagined I was experiencing the ocean's shoreline as a vulture does. This made the experience deeper and richer because it was about the 360 space beyond the camera, not just the frame itself.

Inhale the Mystery

It's easy for me to get stuck in a rigid frame. 

We are meant to experience a sense of awe from experiencing nature. Yet, too often we only see nature's creatures in zoos, or from behind blinds, or in close-up footage on television screens. Our modern ways of noticing nature are often empty. 

As one of nature's animals, we thrive on moments full of mystery. Starving for direct contact with wild places, we can't wait to get out of the time crunch of the city to experience the land and its wild life in the present moment — mesmerizing, compelling and full of awe. 

Fully immersed in nature and its tiny details, we may find our selves by forgetting our self. The quieter I become, the more I can hear, and see.

It is all about being present. Good photographs arise from ideas and are made by photographers who respect photography and their subjects. Just as an aroma can trigger our brain to relive memories, an idea can motivate us to pursue more interesting images. Nature's timeless ideas keep up engaged in this process, when we slow down and breathe in.

Thanks so much for your visit and sharing this link, you are appreciated. Jim