The other day I was just tidying up a few bits in the garden when I noticed a butterfly sitting on the edge of a pallet. I quietly went over and was able to sit on the pallet and take a photo without disturbing it, then to sneak a bit closer and take more. Then I just sat and watched it… Suddenly I was hit by a wave of nostalgia as I remembered back to my twenties and hours and hours of stalking butterflies and bees, hunting out the most striking flowers, and wandering around for the most epic views,  loving the challenge of getting the best photo I could.

It’s been quite a while since I really spent time watching, looking from different angles, waiting… all those ways of seeing that can lead to a great photo and an enjoyment of what’s in front of me. I think partly the ease of taking a few quick images on my phone has changed my habits, but also the general busyness of life. So I’m trying to take time to really see some of the lovely things around me, to stop, to enjoy, maybe to take a photo, maybe not. Sunlight making patterns as it comes in through windows and blinds has been a favourite this week…

It might be that photos are a fun tool for you too, or they could be a distraction, but why not take some time to be still and to watch, even for a few minutes. We’re all having to see life differently these days and maybe the habit of looking at our physical surroundings in a new way could help us see other situations in our lives in a fresh way too.