It wasn’t really a photo-journey trip but when all the business end was taken care of, Inna and I took a drive to the coast road south from Kilkee and walked along the cliff edge.
It didn’t matter that it wasn’t a blue-sky day, the fact that it was end of January and not raining was in itself a bonus. We stood there in the cold, feeling the power of the Atlantic Ocean. It wasn’t just the incessant crashing of waves against the sheer cliff edges, it was the huge base sound as it did so and the massive ocean swells that served to convey the immense power of such a body of water.
I had a lot of trouble with the lens I was using (user error) and most of what I shot was garbage but a few of them came out OK and I have attached them at the end of this blog. We also went to Dun Beg a little north of Kilkee and I have included one coastal shot from there too at the end.
Hope you enjoy!
It was later in the day when I got over the fact that I had butchered so many good moments by not paying correct attention to the surface of the lens, that today’s blog thought came to mind.
You see, the moment wasn’t so much about me capturing it on image, it was about the moment itself. There were several times when I just let the camera hang by my side and I enjoyed what the ocean was doing around me and how insignificant I felt compared to its majesty and power.
Breathing it in, is an insanely important part of life’s experience. Savoring the moment for its worth and not being distracted or consumed by recording it.
You have noticed those people standing in crowds in a live event. Might be a concert, a game, or a speech and they have their phones lifted up recording it. If that is you, then forgive my next sentence. They are all fucking idiots.
They are reducing their experience of the moment, maybe even missing it, in order to get something on their phone. Do they really believe that the dozen professional cameras in place are going to miss something that they manage to get with their phone?
Moments happen and if we are lucky, we bear witness. If it comes to a choice between capturing that moment and experiencing it, the latter should always win.
Breathing in the moment is particularly important, when that moment is of such awe that it can impact us on a pretty base level. Anything that reminds us of how wonderful this world is, or how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things, should be absorbed as fully as we can.
This is life showing us its power and providing evidence of the very reason why we should be happy to be alive.
For millions of years before we existed, this world existed and moments happened. For millions of years after we cease to exist, this world will exist and moments will happen. So, the interim period that we call life is one that should be treasured by us and experienced as best we can.
I know this isn’t exactly the start of a new year, but make a resolution to breathe in as many moments as you can this year and your life will be all the richer for it.
… just a thought.
