Dusk at Chester Woods, MN. October 2021. Nikon Z6 + Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4S @ 24mm, f/13, 10s, ISO-100

I started photography during the pandemic as an escape from the stresses of isolation while working long hours in a strange new town in the clinical lab as a frontline worker. In those days, there was little to enjoy of what we had taken for granted before, and the mundanity of day-to-day life rapidly took its toll. Social distancing was in effect, and I was spending a personally unhealthy amount of time indoors, and one day after a visit home, I grabbed the family camera I had taken (a Canon T3i that had been collecting dust for many years) and took it outside.

The positive effect on my mental health was more or less immediate. Things I had driven by on my way to work or failed to stop and see when I had cocooned myself indoors suddenly came into focus. With my camera in hand, I wanted to go outside, even when every other part of me was saying no. Suddenly, the weekends were no longer days to be dreaded but became hours of opportunity to see the world in a new light, to gain that exposure. All one really needs to take pictures is a camera and something that excites them, and I could see that passion now in myself. There was a whole world waiting for me out there, through my viewfinder.

The picture above was taken on the way to a friend’s around Halloween time in 2021. I remember calling and telling them that I would be running late, as I had taken a detour into a nearby forest, where a beautiful dusk was setting in. As I walked through the trees and came to the clearing above, my eyes widened, and the stress that had been melting away was all but gone. I knew I had to capture this. I set my bag down, took out my tripod, and composed the shot, distracted by such a beautiful view. After several moments, I made my way back with a smile.

Photography is special to me because taking a photo isn’t about the camera but about appreciating the scenery in front of you. If what you see is exciting to you, then it’s only natural that you will want to compose and capture that excitement felt in that moment of time. The camera, then, becomes a simple, handheld way of appreciating a world that would otherwise be invisible, passed over. Picking up a camera made me realize that it is too easy to go through the days without stopping to appreciate the beauty in the world around us, and for that I will always be grateful.