Notes and Thoughts
Lesson taken
Enthusiasm is a powerful thing but, unchecked, it can lead to hard lessons. Recently, I took a trip to the Big Bend area of Texas. The plan was to stay 4 full days to hike, to camp and to make photographs. I wanted to make the most of my time over there. It wasn’t my first time in the area, so I know what to expect and the area of the national park I wanted to focus on.
The plan was to wake up early to enjoy the early morning light, to be on trails as long as possible and to stop for every composition I saw, for every location that interests me. I could not wait to get out the tent and get busy. That drive can make me miss some warning signs, like fatigue accumulated over a couple of nights of poor sleep due to strong wind and cold temperatures.
On the second morning of the trip, I found a wonderful location near the Chisos mountains, lit by a beautiful and contrasty light. The scene called for a panorama, a single exposure would not have give the place justice. Composing and taking panos is not new to me, but that morning, I was struggling… I could not manage my concentration, getting distracted by yhe changing light that was becoming more beautiful by the second. I felt overwhelmed by the thought I would miss the moment all together. Argh…
I still managed to take pictures which I hoped would lead to a good panorama but I was not sure at all, taken by the feeling that perhaps, I wasted time. So, it is on a feeling of uncertainty that I left the location to realize 30 mins later I had left my tripod behind. It was gone when I returned…
At first I felt upset. But such a feeling does no good. The lesson was clear: focus on the moment and take it easy. The pano below is a memory of it.
Where my tripod was lost