The Nature of Things. #Writing #‎NaturePhotoChallenge‬

Recently I participated in a nature challenge on Facebook. I was nominated by a beautiful friend who lives in America. The challenge was to post one original nature photo each day for 7 days and nominate another photographer each day to also participate.

All photos were taken by me. Some on the iPhone and some with my Cannon digital SLR.

Day 1

The photographer is to write a sentences or two about the nature of the photo.

Dawn in Australia

I took this photo early this morning before the clouds covered the sky. I consider the sky to symbolise freedom. The nature element would be wind. The other nature element is wood. Trees I consider to be stability. Literally if a person hugs a tree they will feel stability – but they are also like human beings. Trees grow old, are susceptible to disease, some grow hollow, some lean, some live long and some live short but trees, like humans, will one day die. Like us, their body will rot and replenish the earth, enriching the soil for their young seedling to take a new place and grow strong. That is the power of nature and we are part of it.

Day 2

By day two my creative self wanted to break the rules.

I took this photo in Vietnam. “Blooming Lily over water” Instead of writing a sentence about the photo I thought I’d write a short little poem.

Blooming Lily Over Water

I took this photo while visiting Vietnam.

Blooming Lily Over Water

Full beauty, a morning child
There to reveal, full gaped colour
Above dark water, drink
Nourished, under tender warmth
Cease, the passing day
To close, quiet.
To Sleep.

Day 3

And once again my creative self wanted to move outside the rules and this time I wrote a flash fiction instead of a sentence explaining the nature of the photo. So here we go.

Waterfall, Poring Hot Springs, Borneo

At the break of dawn a stranger woke Tom. They sat and gazed at the long, beautiful fall. “We should declare this spot an endangered place,” Tom said to the stranger. “And make sure every person in the world comes to visit so they can leave behind their eternal unnerving prowl of hostile behaviour and sit, just for a moment and feel peace.” The stranger turned to Tom and said. “They would see things like we do. Peaceful strangers at a fall.”

Day 4

And once again my creative self wanted to move outside the rules and this time I wrote a Twitter length micro fiction instead of a sentence explaining the nature of the photo. So here we go.

A fishing village in Hong Kong

The photo on the postcard had brought Don here. He held up the photo and compared it to the real landscape. He decided. “Yep, I’m staying.” ‪#‎AVeryShortStory‬

Day 5

And once again my creative self wanted to move outside the rules and this time I wrote the moments leading up to capturing this particular photo, instead of a sentence explaining the nature of the photo. So here we go.

Proboscis Monkey, Borneo

I twisted the camera lens into place. The lens was new, big too. Like any good photographer I readied myself, pressing my eye gently against the viewfinder. Most would complain about the time spent in solitude. Motionless. Looking through entangled trees waiting for a private moment between photographer and monkey. The troupes assiduous movements never seemed to ease. Eating. Grooming. Playing. Then through the living leaves he fist-walked out into the clearing and sat, still. I focused. Quickly I pressed the shutter button down and the whir of continuous shooting began. The seconds of stillness disappeared into movement again. He was gone. But I had captured my moment.

Day 6

This time my creative self is busy working on this day so I kept it simple. So here we go.

Photo taken at Kings Park in Perth.

“Nature at its best. Busy bee over many flowers” instead of a longer sentence explaining the nature of the photo.

Day 7

And once again my creative self wanted to move outside the rules and this time I attempted to write a haiku, instead of a sentence explaining the nature of the photo. So here we go.

Photo taken in Vietnam