“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” –Marcel Proust
Ask any parent, and they’ll tell you that every day is a new adventure, especially with young children. So its been with my son, who is now three. Our newest adventure has been to get him ready for his first “big boy” backpacking trip by taking him hiking often. Prior to this, he had always ridden like a little prince in a backpack, but as he’s grown heavier and more independent the shift to having him walk was inevitable.
I opened this post with a quote my best friend recently sent me. Proust’s words caused me to take pause for several reasons; from a photographic point of view, I think there is significant meaning here, and hiking with my son helps to illustrate that. Toddlers are anything but fast. Every 20 feet or so, we have to stop and go through any myriad of activities: digging in the dirt, touching every flower on a bush, sticking hands down animal burrows (yes, I put a stop to this very quickly!), etc. Progress is, needless to say, slow. But, its a process that’s helped me to see with new eyes.
Go go go, hurry hurry hurry. Get up, fix breakfast, go for a run, shower, out the door, sit in traffic, work for 8 hours, sit in traffic, eat dinner, do dishes, go to bed. How many of us can relate to that? Even with photography, can you relate to that? I’m sure, on some level, you can. In the timespan of a 2 mile walk with my son, he managed to show me some interesting tracks in the dirt, a really cool scorpion exoskeleton, and a rock that looked “like a pair of sunglasses.” In other words, I saw things I normally would have walked by, or ignored.
In a world where we drive blindly between scenic viewpoints as if someone is telling us what’s worth seeing, and we rush between items on a to-do list, do you think we have something to learn from a 3-year-old who is discovering the world around him?
My new mentor and I, August 2011
Oh man. That is one cool looking naturalist getting set for a hike. Good times, Greg. Enjoy them.
Absolutely…there is so much to learn from a three year old or any other age child. As I look for the bugs and flowers that I photograph, I am amazed at how little I actually see and experience compared to the wonders I remember from my childhood. Our perceptions are so different, cluttered, rushed, and just plain not as free or magical as a child’s. The world seems to offer itself to a child while we adults have to fight to keep our eyes open to it’s wonders. Learn all he’s able to share with you.
Great quote too.
Thanks, Steve. I suppose, on some level, my post is somewhat cliché, pulling out the “through a child’s eyes” routine, but watching him, its so true. I never expected him to show me as much as he did.
I think if we approach our photography with that much creativity and vision, collectively, we’d be a lot better off…
Some things are cliché for a good reason…they are universal and have earned the right. And, yes, we all need to learn to see through a child’s eyes more.
Nice father and son picture! Great choice of parks to hike in.
And hey, if you want to hike slow just come out with me sometime when I’m in the mood for macro work. I’ll take a few hours to go a few hundred feet 😉
Don’t worry, Marc…I’m sure I’ll be following you around at some point! As you saw, I can usually occupy myself for quite a while too…
Great post Greg. It is about the seeing, and nothing like a new pair of youthful eyes to make the world new again.
Thanks for the comment, Russ. I couldn’t agree more!
This rings so true, Greg. My little guy is 2 1/2 and he’s at the transitioning stage from being carried in a pack to walking the trail under his own power. EVERYTHING is interesting to him. Last weekend we spent 5 minutes picking juniper berries and lining them up on the ground as a sort of animal buffet. We would have been there all day had I not coaxed him into moving on.
I’ll admit that at times it can be frustrating. I’m so used to going at my own pace (too fast) and Jackson forces me to slooooooooow down. But, seeing the joy on his face when he finds something cool or jumps over a log all on his own reminds me of what’s truly important. Your post is a fantastic reminder of this. I wish I were out hiking with him now.
Thanks for writing this, Greg. By the way, I love the pic of you and your son! 🙂
Haha…Bret, I knew if anyone could relate you could. I see the photos your wife posts of your son, and know that (1) our boys would be trouble if they ever got together, and (2) that he’s the same way as Owen.
The juniper berry story cracks me up. I understand and can sympathize about how frustrating it can be at times (no, my patience is not infinite…far from it), but when you put it into perspective, its easy to be patient.
Really nice post Greg! Aren’t children wonderful! Everything is a fresh new adventure to them. They can soak it all in, and see no need to rush. there is a lot we can learn from our little ones! 🙂
Thanks, Rachel, for coming by and for the comment! I agree completely that children are fantastic…and that the best lesson is that there’s no real need to rush!
This is so cool, and so true… great shot of you both, he looks so like you!! 🙂 yeah, keep his hands out of those burrows!
The more we talk about photography, the more consolidated my opinion becomes on it being a three stage process…
The EVENT – the seeing, the experience, the light
The CAPTURE – all the technical, compositional, exposure stuff &
PROCESSING – Realeasing that creative vision in an expressive way.
All three are vital, all three independent skill sets that require years of focus…
You’re little lad has the EVENT nailed right now, and all he needs to do is add stages 2 & 3…
cheers….
Thanks, Alister! Its good to know he’s 1/3 of the way to being a good photographer.
The amazing thing is that the EVENT is the most difficult thing for many photographers. What strikes me most about your analogy is that so many of us seem to have unlearned things that were innate in us as children.
Great post Greg. You’d better pay close attention to that little guy… sounds like he’s got a lot to teach.
He definitely has a lot to teach. I worry about being able to soak it all up sometimes. Thanks, PJ, for the comment!
Great post, Greg, thanks! Expecting our firstborn shortly, it’s nice to hear a parent with something positive to say. We’re under no illusions about the frustrating moments, but you hear so much of that these days, it gets pretty discouraging. I think parents need to try and be a bit more upbeat and sell the better aspects of the experience a little, unless they truly do feel that it was a mistake and no one should have children. Unfortunately, that’s the message a lot of people are sending, whether they mean to or not.
In any case, I’m looking forward to the change in perspective. It’s easy to take so many things for granted until you have someone else to share them. For example, I grew up near Yellowstone and went there all the time as a kid, so I got pretty jaded about the place. But taking my wife there, who had never seen anything like geysers and bison, was a whole different story. I expect the little one will bring not just renewed appreciation of the little things, but of some of the big things as well.
I’m sorry to hear you’re getting somewhat mixed messages regarding parenting, Jackson. I can only speak for myself, but the last three years have been the happiest of my life. I can say with no reservations that being a Dad is my absolute favorite job. Every day truly is a new adventure.
That said, there are frustrating moments, times when you really need a stiff drink and a few moments to yourself. But, at the end of the day when its all said and done, you look at that sleeping little monster, and you know its all good. I guess all we can really do in parenting is what we do in life: try our hardest to meet every challenge with an open heart and mind. The rest seems to fall into place.
Cheers,
Greg
Greg, this is an awesome post! We are going through this experience with our first grandchild – what a joy it is to see the world through his eyes.
Your son is adorable.
Sharon
Thank you on both counts, Sharon! Yes, kids are amazing. I know my parents are enjoying their grandson very much, and are both learning to “see” again!
Cheers,
Greg
I enjoyed reading this post, Greg, as well as all of the great comments. It is so fun to see the world through a new perspective. You are fortunate and wise to be introducing your little guy to the outdoors at the youngest age possible. My parents did the same for me and it has made all the difference my entire life. Contrast this nature-oriented approach to parenting to what the majority of kids get today. I know very well two young children whose birth father introduced them to video games around the same age as your son here. These two children age six and ten are extremely bright and can have fun in the outdoors too, but they have to be shown everything by an adult rather than having the spirit of discovery and adventure. They have extremely short attention spans and are used to the pacing and leading of television and computer games. Because of this, they don’t notice the little things or the nuances and subtle entertainment that nature has to offer. So, be glad and revel in every moment because the alternative as they grow older is not very satisfying and is unfortunately quite common.
Oh, and by the way, when I first read the Proust quote above I was moved because I remember my dad repeating that one off and on many times.
Thanks for sharing your perspective, David. I agree that taking a curiosity-based approach to parenting can have long-lasting effects on children. I’m hoping that as our son grows older, he really can appreciate the small things, not only in nature, but in life.
I know your attachment to the Proust quote really is largely tied to your father, but it is quite moving isn’t it?
Cherish those moments, and I’m sure you do. I kind of miss those earlier days. My two daughters are 10 & 13 now….how time flies!
Really love that picture!
That’s the other big lesson…slowing down to make sure we do cherish those moments! Its too easy to not live in the moment and to let things slide by!
You’re right Mike…time does fly. I can’t believe its been 3.5 years already!! Yikes…