“A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not on the branch but on its own wings.”  –Charlie Wardle

Despite failing more than succeeding at the business of photography, I’ve never questioned the “rightness” of the pursuit.  I feel entirely at peace when I’m in the field, a camera in hand, my attention the guide.  On this particular afternoon I sat on a sloping boulder overlooking this deep and wide valley of forested Southern Appalachian landscape and watched rainstorms move across the dramatic landscape.  Coming off of a photo adventure the previous day, I decompressed, did a cursury success/failure recap, and thought about how to get better, big picture and small.

If I fail at this venture–and it appears more likely than not that a pivot is coming–I hope my wings will simply move me towards something else equally fulfilling.  It’s the faith that allowed me to jump into full-time landscape photography, and it’s, hopefully, the same faith that will allow me to gracefully move on when the time comes.  

Camera:  Nikon D850
Lens:  Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 @58mm
Tripod:  Really Right Stuff TVC-33

Date taken:  May 19, 2024
Settings:  f14, 1/40 second, iso 64