Line of Sight

"Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world."

-Arthur Schopenhauer

This week I took a look at things from a different angle. On my hikes I allowed my mind to wander a little more openly and took pictures of things that made me stop and take a step back to get a second look. Lighting, angles, height, mood, situation and season can change the way anything looks.

As I wandered the trail, brown dead leaves and pine needles blanketed the ground in a crunchy carpet as far as I could see. And there it was. This perfect crimson leaf--just shouting out to me by its vivid pigment. I literally walked backwards to get another look and took a picture without a second thought. I pondered the context of this bright leaf in my life...

There were so many applications that this one leaf could have. Being thankful, for instance, of the things that stand out in your life. Or making the effort to find something you love to stand out in. The fact that one leaf could bring on such a myriad of emotions and thoughts and inspirations immediately made me reflect on God's wonder.

I have written about perspective before, and this ties into it. I can look at this image and see inspiration, and someone else can look at this same image and see something completely different. Perhaps the lesson is different, perhaps the application is different, perhaps nothing is perceived and the red leaf is missed. Had I been looking up I may have missed this image and taken a picture of something completely different.

Maybe something like this. The golden light being cast down upon the trail caused me to look up and see this glorious view of leaves. The angle seemed so magical and it was a view I do not consider as often.

"Look at situations from all angles, and you will become more open." -Dalai Lama

I have a tendency to be a little more on the clumsy side, so looking at the ground saves me from many stumbles and falls. It also prevents me from stepping in horse manure, as horses traverse the trails as well. There is a certain practicality that comes from many of the pictures I take--I would not catch them had my line of sight been elsewhere. Taking my view upward gave me a different appreciation for lighting, spacing, and the shape of the leaves.

This is not the same tree; however I took this picture on an evening walk in my neighborhood, and the lamp post shone through the leaves in a way that was dramatic and really illuminated the beauty and color of the fall leaves on this tree. Similar angle; different time of day/situation.

Something else I noticed was that my hikes are markedly different from week to week. Whether it be because of the temperature or humidity or the wind/rain or the season--each journey is its own experience.

I think one of the more interesting observations I made this week (thought not groundbreaking by any means) is the importance of our line of sight. With the leaves fallen and trees bare, paths that I never saw before and light that never got to shine through made everything more clear and bright. What was normally lush and green and full of foliage was now much more open and empty. This meant I could see ahead farther, anticipate bikers on the trail sooner, and had a more clear view of the path and hills ahead.

I have not yet decided which view I like best. I have yet to experience walking the trails in winter or spring, so I will have to get back to you another time to share that. For now, I like the mystery and solitude of the dense, leafy trees combined with the chirps of crickets and locusts and frogs and birds. I also like the open brightness of the fall trail, with the crisp air and crunch of the leaves beneath my feet and the rainbow of leaves as they flutter down before me.

I do like that I am able to appreciate all the different angles, and learn from each one separately. It is yet another new avenue of exploration--with thinking, writing, and photographing--and I am very thankful for it.