When I was eight years old, I went for a walk in the Redwood National Park with my grandfather. We came to a grove of giant trees surrounding an opening covered with ferns. It was bathed in soft light.  I stopped and tears came. There was no sense of time passing. But afterward, the front of my shirt was soaked . I was deeply moved by the beauty and enduring nature of what I just experienced. Since then, I know a forest is a place where my soul feels at home. 

 

The climate changes we are beginning to experience are direct challenges to the survival of our specie and all other life on this planet.  When the climate changes, species either adapt or disappear.  Photography with it's connection to our shared visual reality is well suited to help us deal with the emotions involved keeping our lives both meaningful and enjoyable. This fact is causing me to adjust the orientation of my work to what I call Climate Photography.  

 

Doing photography has taught me many things.  Working on my soul is the surest path to more helpful images.  Working close to home.  The more familiar I am with the land and the life it supports, the better the images.  Nature curates it's self.  The meaning is already there to be discovered as is it's beauty.  It is eternal.  We are passing visitors.  Nature asks to be looked at.  When it does, I will ask if it wants an image to be made.   When what is in front of the camera says yes, I make the exposure and remember to say thank you. Being grateful is a excellent way to get more invitations.

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Part of the gift of living in this world comes from the chance  to experience the beauty it contains.  An important measure of my growth is how deeply and inclusively I can sense this beauty.  Awareness of beauty is cause for gratefulness.  Beauty has a direct connection to love. And love is a powerful tool in coping with the stress brought on by the daily pressures of life and fear of the growing precariousness of our situation.

 

                                                                                   Henry Williams Lautz

                                                                                                 Spring, 2023