Northern Cardinal (male)
Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. Youāve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it.
Ray Bradbury
I generally prefer the term, ābirdwatchingā to ābirdingā when it comes to describing my bird-observing activities (and now that I write it, I think I like ābird-observingā even better!). I even came across the term, ābird-looking,ā recently, which I also like very much. Whatās the difference? āBirdingā has a more active connotation than ābirdwatching,ā at least, to my mind. That is, generally speaking, birders go out looking for birds. And I donāt think thatās the best way to describe my relationship with my pastime. I watch. I sit in the backyard with my camera and wait to see who shows up. And Iām less interested in photographing specific species than I am in capturing moments.
I realize, as I write this, that the importance of capturing moments is something Iāve written about before. Or, the idea that the moments of our lives really come to life when we allow ourselves to experience them fully. That is, when we are creative with the stuff of everyday life, when we engage with the routine in such a way as to make it non-routine, when we allow our thinking minds to rest and engage fully, sensorially with our environment. It occurs to me that, at the heart of many of these activities, is a kind of letting go.
As in the Bradbury quote above, these are the moments in which we ātouchā life. In which we cease trying to control, resist, strangle. After all, we cannot capture the magic of a moment if weāre attempting to control it, as we cannot experience the miraculous all around us if weāre always looking at others through the lens of our own wants and needs.
I find birdwatching, for me, serves the very important function of letting go. I use those moments of sitting in the backyard serenely with my camera to simply be. To watch and listen to whatever might be there. And if that means I end up with a huge cache of Mourning Dove photos (because theyāre always around), then thatās fine by me. As long as Iāve succeeded in capturing the moment.
As long as Iāve put my controlling mind to rest and poured all of my energy into experiencing something of the birdās personality, of the magic of a sunny, spring afternoon, of the little piece of eternity that seems to somehow reveal itself in the moment.
Control, in these cases, or the desire to control, is not only the enemy of creativity, it is the death of experience. Said differently: if we really want to experience the moments of our lives, we need to let go when itās time to let go. The moment we start thinking of other creatures in terms of what they can (or should) do for us, they cease being miraculous. Or rather, we lose the ability to see them as such. Thatās also how we dehumanize other people. The moment you start looking for magic, you lose it. The moment you grab hold of a miracle, it slips through your fingers.
The Used Life 
15 responses to “On Capturing Moments”
Beautiful photos. And an excellent point concerning birding/bird watching. And I love the Ray Bradbury quote.
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Thank you! I love the quote, too. Seemed somehow fitting.
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You truly are the bird whisperer! Your captures highlight incredible detail, in their coloring and eyes. Your words are equally inspiring. Thank you. I was not familiar with the Bradbury quote you shared. That is a good one!
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The ābird whispererāā I love it! š There are a few spots around the yard where some birds will perch for long enough to capture that kind of detail. Otherwise, itās just luck. Some days Iām lucky, and some days not so much. But thatās what makes it fun. Im happy you enjoyed the post! I always appreciate your feedback, Michele!
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You inspire me to perch myself in my yard for a day and try to capture as many birds as I can. I do not feel we have the variety that you have, but who knows, a full day of observing might prove me wrong. Thanks again for sharing part of your beautiful world. š¦ My pleasure.
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Well, please let me know if you decide to spend a day ābird-observingā and how it goes. š You may find there are lots more out there than you realized. I did. I very much enjoy the variety of wildlife we have in NC year-round. I hope you have a great Tuesday!
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I will let you know. I better hurry up… it is warming up! It is supposed to be in the 90s next week. š¢ Thank you! Wishing you the same.
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In the 90s already! I believe it. Several years ago, I spent some time in Phoenix in late springā¦I was appalled by how hot it was lol š„µ Stay cool and enjoy the wildlife!
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It is appalling. I agree! š¢ I will enjoy it while I can. Thank you. I know you will too. Nature is such a gift.
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Absolutely. Take care!
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Great photos š And I love your statement, “After all, we cannot capture the magic of a moment if weāre attempting to control it”. A simple truth that has such profound consequences in our lives.
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So true. And, I think weāre often so used to thinking that wayāin a kind of ego-centric, controlling fashionāthat we donāt even realize weāre doing it. Iām happy you enjoyed the photos! š
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I love your last sentence, “The moment you grab hold of a miracle, it slips through your fingers.” So true, the miraculous is not what can be grabbed / possessed, but only observed and it ceases to be when we try to grab it.
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Absolutely. Always good to remind ourselves of that.
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