A few weeks ago when we experienced both fog and snow I spent many hours walking throughout Wellington Hills Park, looking for good-to-great photography opportunities. There were a few photos I captured I consider to be some of the best photos I’ve ever taken.
I’m a hard critic on myself, that comes from the art schools I attended. No-nonsense teachers critiqued our work and occasionally someone’s freshly mounted on board print went sailing across the room - a very non-verbal criticism of the photo. The words, “re-do” were commonly said to students.
Back to Wellington Hills Park.
With backpack and walking stick this person walked America. His passion for nature was strong - strong enough he eventually gained an audience with an American President and from those meetings came the beginnings of the National Park system. His activism for nature and wild places helped preserve Yosemite, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas.
He founded the Sierra Club and he frequently said, “Wild is superior”. John really felt God in the wilderness, each tree had intrinsic value and forests were places a person could go in order to re-charge the batteries of their souls.
John fought to preserve wild places and green places. He cried over nature lost to bulldozers and axes, he never understood those with cold hearts who wanted to pave over beautiful natural places.
Yes, I felt the words and values of John Muir as I was composing photos that day.
I’d like to think he was near-by as I walked the rolling hills and felt the essence of the 100 year old trees in Wellington Hills Park.
 |
| if only John Muir was here |
Bill Stankus
January 2013
1 comment:
that gave me goosebumps!
Post a Comment