In autumn, the first thing I do after waking up is peeking outside. What’s the weather like?
If it’s raining cats and dogs, I pull the blanket back up and take it easy. No rushing on rainy days 🙂
When it’s sunny, I will probably be lured outside.
But when I spot fog, I run!

Yes, on misty mornings, everyone needs to hurry up.
Once we’re out, however, we take it slow and take it all in. The sun peeks through the mist, heavy dew drops on spider webs, and the soft colors of the clouds rest on the field. We wander as the sun slowly dissolves the moodiness of the early morning.

Some people say that taking a camera everywhere sabotages them from being present. For social settings, I tend to agree. When I meet up with friends, all my electronics preferably stay in my bag, so I’m all ears for their stories. During dog walks or in nature, however, the camera becomes a part of the experience, a tool to slow down. While I photograph spiders, my dog can sniff an interesting tree as long as they want. When I photograph them, they love the attention and the treats. Oona and Mogwai, tend to jump on rocks or tree stumps to start posing 🙂 “Look, here I am!” and they wait until I take a photo.

When I’m out with my camera, I take my time to frame an image, I see more details, and I never rush through a landscape to get from point A to point B.
Sometimes I follow my dogs when they scent something interesting, leading me to ‘treasures’- which I mostly love finding with them. And yes I have pictures of our treasures, but I won’t share them- some of you might never come back 🙂

When I look at the world through the viewfinder and *click*, I capture the things that catch my eye. I freeze moments of beauty and make selections of impressions. I can relive the moments later or laugh with my dogs’ funny expressions. In a way, it’s like an active gratitude journal, isn’t it? I search for beauty, and by doing so, I create a stronger connection and more memories.

I wouldn’t be human without random thoughts popping up now and then, and if they are work-related, an unexpected solution might present itself, or I might find new inspiration in colors or textures I find on our walks. It’s all connected, but these joyful dogs definitely keep me from overthinking e-mails or to-do lists until I arrive back at the studio.

So thank you, sweet furry friends, for all the beautiful walks, and for our moments exploring together.