I can’t go beyond say 10 kilometers from my home without lugging along my camera. And when I have a camera with me, it’s hard to stop thinking about it. Instead of looking around to just stand and stare, my mind runs at a hectic pace looking for opportunities to compose a good photograph. My objective of getting to Munnar is to leave all worries behind and give my mind the much needed chance of relaxation. But my mind refuses to rest when a camera is around. So, my challenge is to balance these two conflicting objectives, by letting my mind wander till it settles down. Let me explain this in greater detail.
In my previous expeditions into nature, I used to pre-occupy myself with photography. But this time, I tried to restrain myself from picking the camera up too much. When I see something that sends my brain into a frenzy of photography, I just let it run and just refuse to pick up the camera. Once my mind realizes that it’s whim is not going to be granted, it settles down to calmer pursuits. I then enjoy the place to my heart’s content. When it’s time to leave the place, I then pick up the camera, and go snapping. Since I did not allow my mind its freedom the first time around, this time my mind doesn’t get totally involved into the pursuit of photography. I just flip the camera to auto-mode, point and shoot.
I didn’t expect to get great pictures because I didn’t “work hard” at it. But I am pleasantly surprised with the results.
At least some of the photographs have come out decent, at least to my standard.
So, I prioritized enjoying the place over photography and yet, the results were not that bad. So, I can still enjoy the scenery and take decent photographs. I've decided I need to practice this restraint philosophy more thoroughly until no active monitoring is needed, and this attitude becomes second-nature. But for that, I need more vacations. How convenient!
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