Following What Always Felt Right

I joined local groups and state Audubon programs, attended classes and lectures, and signed up for nature-focused tours whenever I could. Time outdoors was never just a hobby. It was where I felt most engaged and most like myself.

For a period of time after college, my days looked very different.

I worked in the corporate world, with a successful career and a steady paycheck.

During my commute, I began noticing the same guy kayaking along the river beside the train tracks, often with his camera, moving at his own pace and completely absorbed in what he was doing. Day after day, I watched him from the train, biting my tongue as I headed into work. It wasn’t a sudden realization, but a growing one. Living for weekends and vacation days no longer felt like enough, and I knew I was ready to say goodbye to corporate life, even if it meant walking away from security and taking a real risk. I remember thinking, I want that life. I want to be outside with my camera, paying attention to what’s around me instead of rushing past it, not just on weekends, but every day.

Life today pulls us even further indoors. Many of us spend long hours in front of computers, switching between emails, screens, and notifications that never seem to stop. Even our free time often happens online. The pace is fast, constant, and demanding, and it takes a toll.

Nature photography offers a way to step out of that cycle.

When you go outside with a camera, your attention shifts. You begin to notice light moving through trees, subtle changes in weather, and the behavior of wildlife. Photography encourages patience and observation. You can’t rush a sunrise or control how an animal moves through a scene. Nature sets the pace, and being present with it changes how you experience time.

There is solid research showing that spending time in nature lowers stress and helps regulate the nervous system. Photography adds focus and intention. Instead of your mind bouncing from one thing to the next, your attention settles on what is right in front of you.

Nature photography also builds a connection. The more time you spend observing a place or a species, the more invested you become in it. Over time, that awareness turns into respect and care. You stop seeing nature as a backdrop and start seeing it as something you are part of.

For me, photography became a way to slow things down again. Standing quietly in the early morning light, watching wildlife move through a landscape, or waiting for changing weather is a reminder that not everything needs to happen fast to matter.

In a chaotic, screen-focused world, stepping outside with a camera is a small but meaningful choice. You don’t need perfect images or expensive gear. You just need to look up, step outside, and give yourself permission to pay attention.

As the new year begins, it’s a good time to pause and ask a simple question. Where do you want to spend more of your time this year?

Sometimes, that is exactly what helps us feel like ourselves again.