Time to get out more
Yesterday I came across an article which mentioned that spending time outside in nature is a much more renewing, restoring activity for your brain and your attention span than anything that requires more focused attention.
Anecdotally, thinking back on the times that I go out on walks/hikes specifically to take pictures, this feels true. Besides my brain shifting into a different gear when I’m watching my surroundings outside, I almost always tend to get into a “flow” state of mind when seeing things through my camera. I can ignore almost anything, including hunger and extremely cold winter weather, when I’m taking pictures, much to the chagrin of my husband who often accompanies me on these trips. (Though now that I think about it, I wonder if actively looking for things to photograph somewhat negates the benefits of spending time outside? Hmmm… 🤔)
Recently I finally got out of the house and walked around the Berkeley Botanical Garden a few weekends ago. It was cool to see the varied plants they are able to grow from all different countries/regions all over the park. I took all of my pictures using an interesting wide angle macro lens from Laowa, a 15mm f/4. It allows me to capture close up shots but still see the surroundings, which normal macro lenses don’t offer. It’s definitely a different point of view.
The rest of the album can be seen here.
I used the lens on my GFX50s via a Nikon F-mount adapter, so the 14mm focal length is more like 11mm since the crop factor is 0.79. There was significant vignetting on many frames, but given the unusual framing, I felt the vignetting just added to the “toy camera” feel.
Anyway, now that I am fully vaccinated, I’m going to feel a lot more comfortable going on outings, hopefully restoring my pandemic-eroded brain and attention span. My brain needs a rest from being stuck inside this whole time.
