Winter Blessings and Beauties, Day 22: Camera Challenge

I took this picture a couple of days ago when I'd gone out to photograph some ivy for yesterday's 'Winter Blessings and Beauties'. It was not a very promising day for photography, wet and grey - and the afternoon light was fading fast. But on my way back to the house after photographing the ivy, my eye was caught by raindrops hanging on the twigs of the hedge. Looking through the viewfinder and adjusting the focal length I spotted this last, lone coppery leaf, its soft curving lines contrasting with the stark bare twigs, the hanging raindrops bright against the greyness of the day. A small, perfect tableau.  

This is one of the things I find about taking photos for the blog - knowing that I'm going to want something to illustrate the posts means that I am always looking out for suitable images. And the wonderful thing about that is that the more I look, the more beauty I see in the world around me. This photograph is a case in point - normally on a cold, rainy afternoon I would probably have my head down, not really seeing my surroundings, concentrating instead on getting back into the house as quickly as possible. But when I'm in 'photographer' mode, I see the world quite differently. I am looking for the beauty, and so I see it. It's always there, it's the state of mind I am in that allows me to see it - or not.

Famously, Dion Fortune said that "Magick is the art of causing changes in consciousness in conformity with the Will." By changing my focus when I am out with my camera, I am changing my consciousness, seeing things that I would otherwise overlook. More interestingly, when I see them my consciousness changes further. My experience of the world is deepened and enriched and my relationship with the world changes when I see all the beauty it contains. Engaging with the beauty of the world forges an emotional connection to it. As that connection grows and blossoms, the world becomes sacred. 

In winter it can seem more of a challenge to find beauty - the landscape is experienced in harsher weather and without foliage and flowers to soften it. But beauty is always there to be found, if we just remember to look. 

Winter Blessings and Beauties: Day 22

Camera Challenge

Take your camera, or use your phone to go out and look for winter beauty to photograph. Look for large-scale beauty - landscapes, seascapes, skyscapes, sunsets. Look for small-scale beauty - a seedpod, a spiderweb, a mossy rock. Look for interesting wildlife - birds, squirrels, foxes, deer. Look for human beauty - a child's smile, a warm hug, the grace of a skateboarder.

Then... look for winter beauty even when you DON'T have your camera to hand. It's everywhere. Enjoy it.