Small realization

This has been bugging me for a while, but I didn't know what the issue was.  I felt it photographing at Harvest Cry.  I carried it with me to North Carolina.  And I felt it deeply Saturday at the photowalk.

I forgot how to look for photographs.  Sure, when they were gifted to me by my surroundings I recognized them, and occasionally made them.  Or, if my primary subject was a person or group of people I didn't have much trouble finding a suitable place and using/making the light I needed.  But, those are easy.  I know where I am going when I am doing that.

However, what about taking a camera somewhere with no preconceived ideas and hunting down an image or two?  Other people's photowalk images showed me I had grown pretty lazy in looking.  That is a painful realization, but its fixable.

Today we went to the local zoo.  I was determined I would break this bad habit.  I spent a lot of time watching butterflies flutter about flowers.  Even though it would be easier to make a picture of them in the morning when its cooler (not to mention more cooperative light) I still managed to get a picture.  I think its because I spent time there and learned to look at them.  I also pushed my wide angle a bit.  I can't picture what that lens gives me reliably without looking through it, so it encouraged me to explore behind the viewfinder.

And the snake!  I spent quite some time looking through the lens at it. I only made 3 frames.  And I really like this frame I got.

I plan on spending more time hunting "random" pictures, I don't plan on forgetting how to do that again.