Just this past week, while photographing at High Island, I witnessed six complete strangers sharing the joys of photographing warblers. As I looked around to see smiles and heard comments such as "This must be heaven" I realized that had the six of us met anywhere else we probably wouldn't have taken the time or interest to learn about the other person much less to let our guards down and show our true inner selves.

Perhaps it is because when in the field or photo blind all competitiveness or bias is gone. Or perhaps it is the fact that we remember the early days when we struggled with capturing the light or finding the right composition and we are now able to share our knowledge with someone less experienced. Maybe it is the shear fact that all the love of the subject and of the craft shines through from deep inside. It is clear that when the shooting is good each of us goes to a separate place in our hearts and souls, where we find peace, pleasure, and all those wonderful feelings that remind us of the awe and wonder we felt when we were children.

The next time you are shooting with a group I suggest you look around not only at nature and the subjects you are photographing but also at your fellow photographer. As you look in to his or her face you will see the light of what really matters. A light that comes from seeing the real value of nature, the appreciation for its simply being what it is, and the awe of what waits to fill the viewfinder next.

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