Five Frames

The View from Twin Sisters

I only got out with my camera once this week on a hike up Twin Sisters. Even then, I wasn’t feeling especially inspired to shoot.

But when I looked back at this image, I realized something:

Even on the days I feel creatively flat, the mountains keep showing up.
They don’t need me to be “on.” They’re just there, quiet, solid, constant.

Sometimes, the view isn’t a lightning bolt of inspiration.
Sometimes, it’s a reminder:

To keep going.
To keep looking.
To keep showing up, even if the spark feels dim.

Have you ever had one of those days on the trail, behind the camera, or just in life where the spark felt distant, but you showed up anyway?

I think there’s something meaningful in that. Maybe not right away, but eventually.

Prompt of the Week: When It Rains, You Shoot

Inspired by the rainy weather we’ve been having, this week’s prompt is all about embracing the drizzle.

Don't wait for clear skies. Some of the most atmospheric photos happen when the weather turns.

Technique:
Grab your rain jacket and camera (or phone) and head out. Embrace the wet.

Why it works:
Rain transforms everything.
Leaves shine. Pavement glows. Colors deepen. And puddles? They become mirrors.
Even fog or overcast skies can add mood you just don’t get on sunny days.

Try this:
Photograph reflections in puddles, the texture of raindrops on leaves, or the soft light through clouds. Bonus points if you catch a rainbow breaking through.

A Word I Learned This Week: Umwelt

It’s a German word that means “surrounding world,” but not in the way we usually think.

Umwelt refers to the world as each individual experiences it through their own senses, instincts, and perception.

A tick, a bird, a fox, and a human all live in the same forest. But their realities are entirely different.

Learning this word changed the way I see nature. And the way I think about photography.

It made me wonder, what parts of nature am I not noticing, simply because I’m only seeing it my way?

→ Read the full reflection on my blog

A Simple Exercise

Expand Your Umwelt

When I head out for a walk, sometimes I choose just one sense to focus on.
Only listening. Only noticing the light. Only paying attention to texture.

It’s simple, but it shifts everything. The world feels different when I stop trying to take it all in and just tune in to one thing.

I never knew I was expanding my umwelt. But now that I do, I appreciate those walks even more.

Try it! You might notice how different the world feels when you shift your focus.

It’s a small way to stretch the edges of your umwelt. To notice what you might otherwise miss.

A Quote I’ve Been Sitting With

“The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.” - Mary Oliver, Upstream: Selected Essays, essay: “Of Power and Time”

I keep a copy of Upstream nearby. This essay, especially, reminds me to protect the little windows of time I do have - to make something, even something small.

I’d love to hear from you! Have a question, suggestion, or want to explore a collaboration? Get in touch!

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