Have you experienced any beautiful moments in nature?
I'm talking about even the smallest and simplest moments of natural beauty that can be found everywhere on Earth if you know where to look.
Beautiful moments happen anywhere and everywhere—just imagine a beautiful tree illuminated by the warm bright glow of the setting sun, or fall colours in the early sunrise, maybe low fog rolling through green hilltops; I can go on and on.
As an example, this image was taken at a reservoir just a few minutes away from where I used to live in Waterloo, Ontario. I would frequently visit and walk the surrounding trails. On this day, the late afternoon sun was shining a brilliant yellow light on the trees across the water as huge clouds were moving quickly overhead.
Everything about that moment felt so special and so important—the heat of the sun, the dazzling light, and the massive clouds which made me feel so small, yet connected to the world around.
By capturing and sharing these moments, I work to connect people to these experiences in a way that hopefully makes them feel what it was like to actually be there. Beyond this, I want to inspire people to get outside and experience, cherish, and protect the natural world that's all around us. Moments of nature beauty can be found anywhere and everywhere, so if more people feel a greater appreciation and connection to their local environments, they will do what they can to preserve these ecosystems. The natural world around us is under threat by everything from pollution to sprawling, unaffordable, and inefficient housing development and so much more.
As with all visual artwork, I aim to communicate a feeling—more specifically I aim to communicate the feeling that I felt when I was there taking the image. If I can make someone feel like they are actually there, experiencing that moment and as a part of that moment, I will be happy. If I can cultivate a sense of wonder and continually inspire that person to experience, appreciate, and protect our environments, I will have done my job.
Since I first picked up the camera, the purpose of my work has hinged upon a love and appreciation for the natural world. I absolutely love what I do because it has allowed me to experience some of the most amazing moments and sights the world has to offer.
