“Enjoy the blessings of each day." ~ Ecclesiastes 5:18-20
Years of practice, planning or often
pure luck – there’s no single formula for taking a brilliant wildlife
photograph. Franz often goes to extreme
lengths to get that perfectly timed photo, even risking his life in the
process.
Franz found himself at Brooks Falls, a remote area of
Alaska's southern peninsula. It provides
the perfect natural setting for hungry bears to catch a fresh meal of calorie-laden
salmon making the journey upstream to lay their eggs. The perfect setting for wildlife
photographers.
The bears have also picked up quite a tourist following.
Mama bear sauntered along a well-worn path towards the
river, curious in her relaxed way. Just
like the many other tourists who’d gathered to capture the moment from atop the
bridge, Paige steadied her iPhone.
When the furry mammals stepped into the salmon-rich creek, she
heard offensive complaints from those who weren’t close enough and clicking shutters
from those that were. Flashes went off
as they all struggled to get the perfect shot.
Returning to the bus, Paige
noticed Franz. About 50 pounds of camera
gear hung from a shoulder pack and 3 telephoto lenses dangled from around his
neck. He remained captivated by the
bears’ antics; the sort of gaze that spoke of enjoyment, admiration, and
reverence.
“Did you get the shot?” Paige asked, breaking his
concentration briefly.
“No, no,” Franz replied.
“Sometimes I don’t. If I like a
moment, I don’t like the distraction of a camera … so I stay in the moment.”
She spun around and realized that she’d missed the ‘moment.’ She missed the energy of those little cubs -
learning, frolicking, and loving what they’d achieved. And for what?
The technology exists that allows us to film every waking
moment – a breathtaking panorama, your daughter's first soccer game, that
spectacular rock concert. But, wouldn't
your kid rather see you cheering excitedly over her big goal than flashing a
feeble thumbs up while trying to keep the camera steady? Just because we can doesn't mean we should.
A 2011 study on the "Google
Effect" found that people don't remember information as well when it can
be later retrieved from the internet or from a device it’s been saved on. It’s like we offload the responsibility of
remembering onto an external drive. We’re basically outsourcing our memory.
Shouldn’t we stop focusing so much on capturing the moment
and just enjoy it instead? Shouldn’t we
take more things in with just our eyes, letting the memory be of how fully we
experienced that event at the time with all our senses?
Father God, help me live in the
present moment -
always thankful for the blessing of each day. Not taking life for granted; not living in the
past, but living for God, making the most of every opportunity and living in
peace with everyone. Amen
