How often do we happen to look but fail to see? Fail to take the time or effort to truly assimilate and absorb the life around us? Perhaps something is simply too far away?
A camera is ideal to focus one’s attention and as an amateur photographer a recent birthday present of a new camera reignited my passion for the craft.
It rarely leaves my side; accompanies me on walks, to the garden, around the house. I’m overjoyed to share ten of my favourite photos taken the previous week and hope you enjoy them and some of the quotations they inspired me to seek out! Each one has taught me to look afresh at the world, showing me a new perspective on life.
“So it is with blackberries. If you pull too hard, you may get the berry but you will lose the sweetness of it. On the other hand, if you leave it, it may be gone the next time you come by. Each person must find this point of equilibrium for himself.” Extract from Death of a Hornet and Other Cape Cod Essays by Robert Finch
“He was mastered by the sheer surging of life, the tidal wave of being, the perfect joy of each separate muscle, joint, and sinew in that it was everything that was not death, that it was aglow and rampant, expressing itself in movement, flying exultantly under the stars.” Extract from Call of the Wild by Jack London
“How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!“
Extract from The Swing by Robert Louis Stevenson
“His one sorrow was not solitude, it was that the other gulls refused to believe the glory of flight that awaited them; they refused to open their eyes and see.” Extract from Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach
“When you recognise the sacredness, the beauty, the incredible stillness and dignity in which a flower or a tree exists, you add something to the flower or the tree. Through your recognition, your awareness, nature comes to know itself. It comes to know its own beauty and sacredness through you.” Extract from Stillness Speaks by Eckhart Tolle
“Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.” by Confucius
Annika Perry 
Great post, and its photos are wonderful!
Thank you so much, Luisa! 😀 It’s been a joy to share some of the photos and to find accompanying quotes! Easy to become side-tracked with both tasks! 😀
Dear Annika, I repeat once again that the whole post was wonderful🌼🌼🌼
Those are beautiful photos, and quotes, Annika.
Awww … Lavinia, that means so much to me! Thank you! 🌻
Wow, Annika, thanks for adding descriptions to your images. So little people do that, and I admit being frustrated in many occasions. I could picture your images in my mind. And I loved those excerpts, especially the ones for the swings.
Jina, I’m so glad the desriptions worked and it must be especially frustrating when perusing posts which are image heavy if there is no description attached. I’m late to learning about this but will continue in the future. It was enjoyable and rewarding to find the quotes to match – the swing one always very special to me with wonderful memories from childhood.
A camera is a great birthday gift, lucky you and sounds like you will enjoy the gift for a long time to come. Happy belated Birthday, Annika 😊 I love your questions and thoughts at the beginning. It made me think of how so many of us go about our routine lines, going through the motions as we do every day and don’t stop to actually look at what’s happening around us. There’s so much more than meets the eye. Is that a deer you captured in the second photo? It looks like a deer literally caught in the headlights 😄
Love the quote by Robert Finch. A berry (or perhaps an opportunity or material object in life) can look lovely and be sweet, but sometimes perhaps it’s not always the right moment to touch and taste it.
Thank you so much, Mabel and it was a wonderful and perfect gift! 😀 I totally agree about routine and how it can cause us to neglect the wonders around us, almost as if walking around with blinkers on. The camera is definitely ensuring I see the world anew – loving every minute of it. You’re right about the deer in the second photo. A breed called muntjac and although startled I must admit it stood still for quite a while, long enough for me to faff around with the camera, settings etc to capture this shot from afar!
Yes, the Robert Finch quote is special and so true how this can be relevant in many areas of our life. Sometimes we try to force things a certain way instead of having the patience to find that equilibrium.
Many thanks again for sharing and thank you, everything is very well and a lovely Autumn so far. Take care x
Looking forward to seeing more photos you take with your new camera, Annika. You may take some photos, look at them when you get home and see something new 😀
We are having a chilly start to Spring here but it’s starting to warm up. All is well. You take care too ❤
What a wonderful birthday gift, Annika! And happy belated birthday to a fellow Sept Baby! You have made a great start using this gift! Looking forward to many more beautiful images through your new lens!
Thank you so much, Ju-Lyn – my interests just seem to be snow-balling and it’s finding time for them all! Little and often I reckon. Oh yes, I’m sure I’ll feature many more pictures and it means a lot that you enjoy them! 😀
I am very much looking forward to this new interest of yours!
Meant to ask: how are you enjoying the space you built? I still remember the excitement surrounding its conception & completion!
Ju-Lyn, bless you for remembering! Yes, I’m loving my new studio and can’t imagine being without it! In downpours it’s wonderfully dramatic, during sunny days a bliss to have the doors open, listening to the wildlife, saying hello to the odd bird popping by for a visit. 😀
What a lovely space to have, Annika! and I am so glad to hear you are enjoying it.
Loved these photos. The deer peeking through the trees caught me by surprise. I always think it’s a gift to see one. Love the quotes with each photo. Bach and Tolle are 2 of my favorites. Taking pictures captures those incredible moments that it’s like holding your breath and taking in the scene deeply.
Thank you, Marlene and I love how you describe that magic moment of taking a photo! Beautifully described! 😀 The deer caught me by surprise too and a precious moment! It waited patiently for me to get my camera out of the pocket, focus and click! Almost felt we could have a little chat! Ah, I’m so glad you enjoyed the quotes and two of my favourites too.
Hi Annika – I’m back here and for some reason, WordPress has unfollowed you. So that’s why I’m following you again! I don’t know what happened! Hope you are doing well 🙂
This unfollowing seems to be happening non-stop! Hope WP fixes the issue soon! Glad you’re back to following. Every time I visit someone I now check to see if I’ve been unfollowed.
I never go on to unfollow blogs and I’ve heard of others having this problem. I’m just going to have to make sure I keep up with my faves, like you! 🙂
You are making great use of your birthday gift. I so relate to how you feel about photography. Since you’re a walker (like me) we find these tiny snippets of life that many pass by. You bring them to life and glory vividly with your camera. And the quotes! They’re perfect! Oh, you brought back Jonathan Livingston Seagull to me. I talk about the author in my creative writing classes. Bach claims he was dreaming of a seagull, woke up and wrote down the entire story in one fast sitting. Ah, the power of creativity – in writing and in photography. xo
Oops. I suppose I should say (like I am). :-0 🙂
😀❤️
Pam, I had no idea Bach wrote the book in one go – wow! That is inspired writing and it is still a classic 50 years later. I would love to be in your class and hear what you talk about Jonathan Livingstone Seagull!
It is wonderful you enjoyed the combination of photos and quotes. I’m having a great time with my new camera and it gives me a more intimate connection with nature. The deer waited for what seemed ages for me to reach for my camera etc … almost like ‘don’t rush, I’m patient!
Wishing you a great time out on your walks, letting your muse flow along and yes, nurturing the power of creativity! Wishing you a fabulous weekend, my friend! xx
And the same to you. Take pictures! 🙂
Love the Call of the Wild quote, Annika. How did you source your quotes to match to the photos? My camera has become my diary but I don’t write in it every day. Thank you for following me down the rabbit hole. I seem to have missed this post but your gentle nudge brought me here. Hope life is treating you well.
For most of these I had the sources already to mind as I took the photos or whilst selecting them for my post! I only had to look up for the exact wording! The blackberry quote was brand new to me but so glad for this find! Haha! A gentle nudge, eh?😀 I realised I hadn’t seen you about and then had to don my detective hat and track down your new site! All well thank you but NOT enjoying the cold rainy start of Autumn – but it’s been a glorious September! Hope all is well with you!
Still high 20s and we’ve had a good friend from the UK come to stay for a few days, and our next door neighbour is in residence and we enjoy showing her around. A quiet week next week before our daughter arrives 🤗💕💕
P.S. I never knew that about blackberries!
Amanda
Nor me … and I love how reflections of blackberry picking segue ways into a metaphor for life itself! May we all find that equilibrium that often seems so elusive!
It is essential for a contented life.
Simply gorgeous quotes and images. I especially like the one from Eckhart Tolle that man may add something to the dignity of a flower or tree by our awareness of it. Beautiful words, Annika.
Thank you so much, Amanda! 😀 It means a lot that you enjoyed the post so much and yes, the Eckart Tolle quote is incredible. Like a bolt of lightning to us as the true essence of our power, our gift of life is to everything around us. It’s one I keep in mind!
Thanks very much for following my blog, Annika. That is very kind of you.
Best wishes, Pete.
Pete, my pleasure! I’m sure I was following at one stage but WP seems to be going through a process of unfollowing people for each other’s blogs! Wishing you a lovely day.
I love all of these shots, Annika, but my favorite is of the dog running on the beach. Perhaps I’m a bit prejudiced because I’ve always had dogs, but you captured its athleticism so well.
Thank you so much, Pete and the dog runs with such ease and a sense of freedom – one of those shots where I just had time to lift my camera and click – no idea if it was going to work out! Although not a dog owner myself I do like this one a lot too!
Gorgeous photos, Annika. And I love the quotes – they beautifully accent your photos. If I pause and really let go, my heart speaks to the crows, flows to the trees, reaches to the sun. There is no separation when we let nature speak. 💗
Wow! Gwen, thank you for your beautiful and poetic comment – its serenity and harmony with nature are profound and yes, ‘let nature speak’! It’s wonderful how connected you already are with nature, wise to let go and truly being, speaking with the animals, flowers and trees. It is a precious ability, one we are all born with but sadly lost in the midst of busyness! I LOVE your comment! ❤️😀
wonderful photos, and it seems like the quotes were meant to go with them
Jim, warmest thanks for your wonderful comment and observation – I wanted the combination of pictures and quotes to flow seamlessly and natural.
and you succeeded!
Such beauty, Annika. Jonathon Livingstone is one of my favourite books. I love the quote you included.
Thank you, Norah and it is a special book! 😀 It was tricky to settle on just one for the image as I had so many more ‘Jonathon Livingstone Seagull’ quotes I wanted to share here! Richard Bach is eminently quotable.
That’s for sure, Annika. I could quote the whole book. 🙂
Reblogged this on A Teacher's Reflections and commented:
Thank you, Annika Perry, for really seeing and capturing the world around us. It is wondrous. Every beautiful photo has a remarkable quotation that perfectly speaks to the photo. You will knowingly smile. Some might give you a lump in your throat. Some will flood you with memories. This is a beautiful post.
Bless! ❤️ Jennie, thank you so much for the reblog and for this amazing introduction to the post! I am deeply touched by your words; words that have such power and convey the emotions reading ‘Through a New Lens’. 😀
My pleasure, Annika! Thank you! 💕
Your new camera takes tack sharp photos. These shots are really stunning, Annika. I also like how you took time to write the fantastic captions. I’m so happy to be exploring and finding beauty with you. And this “Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.” says it all.
p.s. I’m starting to think there’s a conspiracy with WP, I didn’t receive notification of this post. I had follow your site again. Very strange!
Khaya, thank you so much for your wonderful comment which means so much to me! 😀 You take fantastic photos, Khaya and I appreciate that you see a sharpness within these -this is what I think the camera offers me and particularly on zoom! Ahh … I appreciate you liking my line – it feels more relevant than ever as the UK has returned to even more manic pre-covid busyness after nearly a year of stillness; an enforced staying at home making many truly take in nature and its surroundings. Sadly this moment of opportunity has now been squandered by some.
I know, I saw your follow this week and then today again! Also talked to a couple of other WP bloggers and the same is happening to them – I hope the Happiness Engineers fix the problem soon! Many thanks for your perseverance! 😀❤️