All images © Martha Brettschneider / Damselwings Photography
On windy days, it can be hard to find stability. This is true in photography and in life.
On a recent trip to Colorado, I had all sorts of stories running through my head when our single day for photography was super windy. I was visiting my Denver-based son, an accomplished photographer in his own right. The gusts forced a tight grip on the steering wheel of his truck as he drove us into Rocky Mountain National Park.
Because my early photography obsession was to capture tiny focal points on flowers, I labeled wind and anything else that moved the subject or my camera as ‘bad’. I must have framed something from this perspective in our conversation as I was brainstorming aloud what we could photograph in the wind.
My son’s casual response blew my mind…
“The wind doesn’t impact photography much here.”
Mountains. Rock. Sunrises. Sunsets. Broad expanses of magnificent landscapes. Stable tree trunks populating forests. And one of my son’s favorite subjects to photograph: action sports that celebrate movement itself.
Of course he was right. In that moment, I realized the sneaky grip that outdated stories still had in my mind.
While I was right to be aware of the impact of wind on macrophotography, limiting myself to that perspective across the board cut me off from the countless choices I had to practice my craft on windy days. It was a simple matter of where to place my attention.
As soon as I opened up to the full range of possibility, I was rewarded with one of those take-your-breath-away moments. I looked up and saw the cloud formation hovering over the mountain peaks in the image above.
More Gifts From the Wind
At another stop in the park, I set my intention to simply be with the full sensory experience of being alive in the moment. As the tripod held my phone camera for this video, I practiced my own stillness.
I relaxed into the experience of the wind, allowing the turbulence to pass through and around me without resistance. I shifted from bracing against the present moment to gratitude for the many gifts laid out before me.
- The wind carries new seeds that will sprout in new places.
- The movement of the grasses and the ripples on the water reflect light, color, and nature’s wondrous resilience.
- And the chilly wind on my cheeks amplified the miracle of my aliveness.
As I experienced this scene in Rocky Mountain National Park, I felt so much gratitude for the sustenance of the air, water, earth, and sun, as well as a sense of belonging in the embrace of the more than human world.
Your Next Skill-Building Opportunity
If you are interested in deepening your capacity to let go of thoughts that no longer serve you and cultivate more clarity and resilience in your life no matter what the weather may be, my next morning meditation program begins on Wednesday, November 5. Learn more and register here.
