Walking around the U of M campus this week has been eye-opening. Not only did I take in new buildings and signs of spring, but I noticed things that had been there for many years, things I did not notice walking around campus 25 years ago. With my camera in hand, I looked at things with age and experience and wonder. Thousands of students walk by Northrop Auditorium (http://northrop.umn.edu/about/northrop-revitalization), a campus icon since 1929, but hardly any looked at the bare beams and emptiness (where the stage used to be). None stopped to take photographs!
What changed in me to make me more observant? I like to think books have broadened my world and given me different perspectives. Through my work, I have met so many incredibly observant people who teach me about seeing things differently. They help me to take time to observe.
The children I encounter each day certainly seem observant. They notice tiny details in book illustrations and tell me about things they see outdoors. Are they able to see and wonder more as a result of the books they read and have read to them? I hope they go out into the world seeing and noticing.
because of you, many of them will.
ReplyDeleteI think having a camera in my hands helps me to be more observant. It encourages me to look for interesting visual compositions and to notice details. You are such a good photographer; no wonder you are noticing so much.
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