Close to Home
7/2021
As vaccinations accelerate and summer arrives, there is a strong sense of hope. Yet many of us are still avoiding big trips, and enjoying the beauty of nature close to our homes. We believe that great photographs can be found anywhere and, for this challenge, we asked you to show us what things, close to you, have inspired your creativity. We received almost 900 submissions! We want to congratulate the twelve photographers selected for this gallery, and hope that you enjoy the beautiful images below. May they inspire you to find beauty in your immediate surroundings! Thanks to everyone for participating, and make sure to enter our next challenge, using #spm_energy on Instagram through September 30, 2021.
Fledgling
Image by: Brenda Petrella Photography
I enjoy walking our dog in the woods behind my house, and I often take my camera along with no particular photography goals in mind other than to just "be" out there and see what catches my eye. It's one of my favorite ways to connect with nature whether I have my camera or not. On this particularly sunny spring day, this unfurling corn lily reminded me of a baby bird, or fledgling, opening its expectant mouth for a nutritious deposit.
Reflections on a Woodland Pond
Image by: Richard Martin
“Nature literally has the power to heal. By slowing down and letting yourself notice the smell, sound, and feel of nature, you become present, aware, and often experience less stress. You become unbusy.” — Lettie Stratton
When we slow down and take the time to truly see the world around us, the rewards are significant. Flowing water can be very therapeutic on so many levels. The curving patterns on the water surface of this shallow forest pond created many compelling designs to explore as overhead sunlight rained down on the ever-changing surface flow. There is something rewarding about celebrating the uncelebrated aspects of nature. To capture this pattern, it was important to control the movement of the water. Slower shutter speeds visually melted the desired reflection pattern. So, the creative decision was to use a faster shutter speed, for example, 1/30th sec in this case with a 70mm lens.
Zinnia
Image by: Amy Aiken
This zinnia is part of a series titled "A Different Kind of Power." It celebrates the flowers near my home in Washington, D.C. By removing all context, color, and scale, I emphasize the aesthetic and graphic qualities of the “ordinary” plants around me. In this powerful city that seethes with urgency and authority, the fleeting beauty of these flowers reveals a different kind of power. The allure of the flowers does not force; it invites. It calls out from the ground, beckoning me to pause. As my pace slows, as my mind returns to the present moment, I start to take notice, and give thanks.
Vibrant Domain
Image by: James Lane
I woke up by chance at 5am and noticed a totally unexpected pall of fog enveloping the area. I made a dash to a beautiful (and relatively secluded) bluebell woodland just four miles from my house. The mist was humming with moisture and rain fell not from the sky but was dripping from the damp trees. This particular tree stood in vibrant resplendence, lording over its bluebell domain, flashing its lime green leaves as a warning to those that dare enter and trample its delicate carpet. I kept my distance and left no trace.
The Old One
Image by: Damien Robertson
I don’t get much time for photography and certainly less in the past year with three young kids at home. I carry the chaos of pandemic home life with me, something I need to wash away in order to connect with nature and find solace. This particular morning before the house woke, in a nearby arboretum, I made this image. An old willow watched as I paced searching for a composition among the nearby flowering trees, waiting patiently for my frantic steps to cease. The wizened eye that gave this tree such character is finally what absolved me.
Spring Shoots
Image by: Krista McCuish
Every spring, new growth appears in my front garden, and when I tend to these growing things, there is a great sense of satisfaction. The results aren’t immediately noticeable, and there is no guarantee of a lush and beautiful reward. Instead, the greater reward is in the process, the quality of attention I bring to it rather than the result. This image was created as an experiment in the studio after arranging and photographing the trimmings from an overgrown shrub.
Consecution
Image by: Christopher Warren
The Ocean sparks my creativity and puts my mind at ease. I am lucky to have this resource very close to home. Being fully immersed in my subject allows me to feel the raw power the ocean possesses. The power I feel intensifies my desire to capture the details that are sometimes overlooked and the moods Mother Nature can unleash. This ever changing environment teaches me respect for powers outside of our own control.
Looking Up
Image by: John Campbell
The last year has definitely been difficult when it comes to getting out and photographing nature. With the shutdown and uncertainties ahead I spent time turning my backyard into a small photography getaway. I planted poppy seeds as well as other flowering plants, hung up bird feeders and created a little retreat just feet from the back porch. This provided a wonderful escape and really helped me to "look up" and realize that travel was not necessary for some fulfilling images.
Window to Winter
Image by: Jason Katz
I have been returning to this local park for years and continue to find new scenes that draw me in. During an early snow last year, this usually drab area that I have walked by a hundred times transformed into something magical to me. The perfect dusting of snow revealed a scene that I had not noticed before. Unfortunately, it was also very ephemeral. I returned that night to explore it under moonlight, but the snow had melted just enough that the morning magic had faded. Now I have a new area to keep checking in on.
Layers and Multitudes
Image by: Amanda Dolan
During this pandemic and our third lockdown I have had to constantly search deep inside myself to find wonder in things outside of myself. Every image I shoot has been close to home this year. It has been a challenge to find new magic in the same surroundings, walking by the same trees and landscapes daily. I have learned to look at the old surroundings differently each time and am continually surprised and wonderstruck at the beauty I find. I am honing in on my personal style this way and learning more about why I love to do this.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Image by: Jessica Salesman
Our garden has always brought me calm, but never more than during the pandemic. In lieu of a commute or as a break from the screen, I will spend time outside observing the day-to-day changes. What appears calm on the surface is really a tiny, frenetic world within a world – hiding in plain sight – only visible if you slow down and lean in. Native solitary bees, miniature pollination powerhouses, have become my greatest fascination. I enjoy the challenge of trying to photograph these charismatic microfauna, creatures I am happy to share space with.
Swan
Image by: Mike DiMeola
It always amazes me how subtle changes in conditions can completely alter how we see the things that we encounter most often.This image was created in a small garden in front of my house. While I see it daily, there was something about the quality of light, the condition of the irises, and my mood on this day that made the scene seem unique and captivating. Feeling inspired, I created this soft and abstract image intending to convey a sense of calm, to reflect how I was feeling being close to home on that quiet morning.