A big reason we moved to this house was the backyard. For obvious reasons. That was four years ago. Over the last six months, I’ve grown in my appreciation not just of the beauty of the vista, but at the idea that I share this space with so many others.
Occasionally, I feel like an intruder. I am that, unquestionably, so I think of the feeling as a good thing.
Today I got that feeling more strongly because of a TEDx talk I watched. The talk was about saving the Everglades. Two things grabbed my attention: the subject matter, and the the photographer himself. He talked about becoming a wildlife photographer 15 years ago in his backyard. That appeals to me, naturally. I am recognizing more and more how to produce better photographs. It is very early days, but I am enjoying seeing the difference in quality over a period of months.
Mac Stone’s talk appeals to me as well because of the subject matter. I have photographed 10 or 15 different kinds of birds, alligators, lizards, turtles, snakes, and insects – all within 40 feet from my back door. What if I expanded my range, and what if I used better tools?
I have appreciated the way the Tampa suburbs enforces these preserves/conservation areas so that where ever you live around here you’re never very far from wildlife. Perhaps the motive is just to ensure that the whole state doesn’t subside below sea level. However, it does serve the purpose of allowing a diversity of life to exist in your backyard. Particularly so in a neighborhood that is 30 years old. But Stone also triggered this sense I have of steward – just a care taker.
- Aperture: ƒ/8
- Camera: Canon PowerShot SX510 HS
- Focal length: 68.164mm
- ISO: 800
- Shutter speed: 1/160s