Nature Photography Archives

Living in the Moment

By Simone Lipscomb | February 28, 2013

Stanley and Gracie teach me about relaxing into the present moment

When we are really supposed to learn something it seems as if it continues to come up over and over in our daily lives. Have you ever noticed that? Themes that pop up so often you can’t ignore them?

Of late the idea of living in the present moment has been bombarding me from every direction. My meditations are filled with this encouragement. While I am in nature or performing everyday tasks like folding clothes, cleaning the cat box or washing dishes, I feel an inner nudge to stay anchored in the here and now.

This way of living doesn’t mean we neglect the ‘future’ by being irresponsible; far from that, it really helps us embrace the fullness of each day without getting stuck in worry and anxiety. We are then able to create a clear path for the future as we sweep away that which keeps us tied to the past.

It could be, at first glance, viewed as a cliche. But be assured there is absolutely nothing trite or cliche about it. In fact, being fully present is one of the deepest spiritual practices I have ever experienced. And it takes a lot of practice. But I finally feel the joy of choosing to be present with whatever is happening. Even if it’s deep emotional pain…choosing to stay with it, to breathe through it, I find the way to the other side of it.

Sunset over Gulf of Mexico at Fort Morgan Beach

Without hesitation I admit that nature is what most calls me to be present. Beyond seeing flowers, the Gulf, wildlife superficially, I look deeper and connect with my breath. Stopping to smell the azaleas, I inhale their sweetness and take in the pink color and exhaling I feel gratitude. Gazing out over the Gulf of Mexico I inhale the beauty of light dancing on the surface, blue-green color, pelicans diving, fish splashing….and I exhale gratitude.

This simple practice helps me stay in this beautiful present. I long to see past appearances and connect to the essence of life that constantly surrounds me. Life is only found in the moment. It is right here. When we are focused on the past or future we actually miss living our lives.

Random, wandering horse in desert. Bonaire, N.A.

Here is a short video on living in the moment. Just click this sentence to link to it.

No Disappointing Days

By Simone Lipscomb | February 26, 2013

You never know what will happen when you set your intention for a morning of manatee interaction. An impromptu trip with a gal pal to snorkel with our sea cow friends and spend some time SUP boarding gave us more than we’d hoped for but not what we expected.

We took off this morning just before sunrise with the outfitter and our favorite captain. When we walked into the dive shop I saw a cave diving icon (sorry Harry) that actually taught my cave instructor. He and his group were on the same boat we were on so we had a chance to visit which made the trip even more fun.

But the manatees were not in Three Sister’s Springs today. It was warm so they were out feeding and this, of course, is wonderful for them. So we swam around the springs and headed back out to the boat and then spent the next couple of hours going on a manatee search. Since I was dressed in a dry suit, I got to be the scout and swim out and check places to see if there were any nearby.

At one point I slipped into the murky, green water of King’s Bay and floated, still and silent, after we saw the ‘footprint’ or ripples of water that were left behind by a swimming manatee. I never saw them but heard a mom and baby communicating through their high-pitched whistles. When I got back on the boat my mates told me that they had seen the manatees swim right beside me…due to the green water I never saw them but definitely felt their presence.

After easing around the bay and different springs we happened to come upon a group of four manatees….two of which were VERY large. They were mating. Huge, round tails danced in the air, heavy bodies rolled in the water, and the intensity of manatee love was so strong that smart snorkelers stayed far away from the nuptials and observed with cautious excitement.

So no babies played with my camera housing, none wanted to interact. But how amazing to know that next year when I visit there will be new babies that add to the beauty of our planet and the specialness of these beautiful, warm springs.

My YOLO teak cruiser is a true friend. We have been in some amazing places.

I spent three hours after lunch SUP boarding in serious wind. I’d duck into quite canals or springs and float with anhingas and mullet. I spent time visiting with manatee volunteers, and had a heck of a work out paddling against the wind and then riding it back across King’s Bay…a downwinder that made me push myself with physical effort and laugh at the outrageous speed gained over open water with such a big wind.

You never know what you’ll get when the day begins but it’s guaranteed that if you keep the heart and mind open, there are no disappointing days.

Heal the Planet, Heal Ourselves?

By Simone Lipscomb | February 23, 2013

A beautiful documentary film, With One Voice, created a flurry of excitement as I grabbed paper and pen to take notes. It had some powerful reminders for us: 1) The condition of the world mirrors human consciousness; 2) Peace in the world will occur when we realize we all belong to each other; 3) Hate destroys.

The overwhelming thought I had after watching twice is this: Our destruction of nature is a direct result of our disconnect from our hearts–the spiritual nature of life– and the Earth–that from which our bodies are formed. To heal the planet we must heal ourselves…or is it to heal ourselves we must heal the planet? Or perhaps they are one and the same.

Below are some quotes presented by various persons interviewed in the film and photographs that hopefully illustrate their ideas.

You can tell someone about a rose but they won't really 'get it.' Give them a rose and they can smell it, feel the soft petals...and connect with it fully. — You can tell someone about a rose but they won’t really ‘get it.’ Give them a rose and they can smell it, feel the soft petals…and connect with it fully.

Stand in front of a very tall tree. Listen to the deep, deafening silence held within the tree. Wonder: why can't I be like that? Stand still and listen. Grow upward and downward. (Malidoma Patrice Some) — Stand in front of a very tall tree. Listen to the deep, deafening silence held within the tree. Wonder: why can’t I be like that? Stand still and listen. Grow upward and downward. (Malidoma Patrice Some)

Love only works by giving. It cannot be stored or banked. Love is an infinite ocean.

See the gift of love everywhere. Convert frustration into compassion. Convert hatred into love. Turn all discourse to love. When you hate someone, send them a love poem. Transform hate into love. (Malidoma Patrice Some)

When we realize the innerconnectedness of all life, hatred and all forms of aggression with cease. Peace in the world will occur when we realize we belong to each other.

We are coming home to a place we have never left. Our own inner peace brings peace to the world. — We are coming home to a place we have never left.

simonelipscomb (9) — Again…Compassion is love made visible.

simonelipscomb (11) — Wisdom says I am nothing. Love says I am everything. Between the two my life moves.

And just once more....Compassion is love made visible. — And just once more….Compassion is love made visible.

Seeing with Different Eyes

By Simone Lipscomb | February 22, 2013

I was playing at the end of a dive in about six feet of water in Bonaire, N.A. The colors....the patterns....ahhhh — I was playing at the end of a dive in about six feet of water in Bonaire, N.A. The colors….the patterns….ahhhh

My artist cousin invited me to an art opening in Pensacola….an underwater photographer had an exhibition opening at Pensacola State College Visual Arts Center. Sure….of course! With no idea of what to expect I arrived at the gallery and met Donna.

We started walking through the gallery and I told Donna the images looked just like the places in Florida where I cave dive. Sure enough, the walls were filled with images of freshwater springs in Florida that are very familiar to me. Karen Glaser had captured the visuals most people never notice when entering the underwater caves of Florida. Most photographers want to capture the arches and tunnels that make the underwater passages so spectacular but Karen doesn’t photograph the caves, she focuses on the somewhat abstract images of duckweed, algae, patterns of light and shadow and the geometries of water rings from a place at the surface, just beneath it in fact.

Sometimes it seems we overlook beauty that is right in front of us. We set our internal compass to the destination with little regard for the amazing beauty we pass along the way. All it really takes is for us to let go of that hell-bent dash toward our goals and allow each step along the way to gift us with a treat, a treasure.

While underwater, divers can become seduced with the idea that the faster they go, the more they will see. To the contrary, the faster you go the LESS you see. No matter how many times I told this to scuba students, I would see their frustration when I would slowly frog kick along, observing minute creatures of amazing beauty as they tried to hover and stirred up billowing clouds of silt or sand. (…..sigh……)

Photo by Ed Jackson in underwater cave, Akumal, Mexico

The brain can only process a finite quantity of information that the eyes gather. My theory is if I go really slow, I’ll actually see more.

When I first visited the caves of Akumal, Mexico, I remember trying to sleep at night and my brain processed the entire day spent in the amazing formations of these underwater cathedrals. My eyes took in so much beauty and my brain was hungry to review and process it, even while I tried to rest.

Entrance to underwater cave in Akumal, Mexico

When we choose to see with different eyes, to take time to slow down, to look at life differently, we might find the treasure we really want lies in front of us, in the present moment, not at some far-away destination.

Sometimes I just pray the beauty I see is somehow translated via the photograph. I took this one in the Nohoch system in Akumal, Mexico

After a while away from underwater caves, I’m headed back into their inky, spectacular beauty….and I can hardly wait! I will make some dives in Florida with buddies and then on to Mexico in autumn with my good friend Connie LoRe. Excitement builds and I can’t wait to get there but I enjoy the entire journey with each dive before then, whether in a cave or open ocean.

I treasure each moment underwater for these precious times teach me to see with different eyes.

The Questions We Ask

By Simone Lipscomb | February 20, 2013

Florida Manatee posing for a candid photograph

Yesterday I watched a news video relating the story of a family that abused a baby manatee. By abuse I mean the dad pulled it out of the water, hugged it, placed his small children on it while it was half out of the water and who knows what other torments. All of this was documented by photographs and posted to the dad’s Facebook page. A Facebook friend turned them in to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. The dad was arrested.

It is suspected that the baby manatee was already suffering cold stress from the recent chilly weather so the abusive handling most likely further stressed the calf which could easily lead to its death.

So. what’s the big deal? Manatees are one of the most endangered species in our area. They estimate the population to be around 5000 individuals. Reproduction rate is slow, many are killed and seriously injured each year by boat propellers. These are the biological answers, the scientific answers that support the very strict rules of conduct that are enforced by law enforcement agencies charged with protecting wildlife listed under the Endangered Species Act.

He checked out my dry suit, my fins, my snorkel, my camera...always learning more about humans, these little ones. — He checked out my dry suit, my fins, my snorkel, my camera…always learning more about humans, these little ones.

To fully understand this question one must journey deeper to the ethical and moral foundation of how we treat species other than our own. Manatees are very gentle, curious creatures with friendly dispositions. Given the fact that humans have nearly decimated their populations, they are incredibly trusting of us.

In a recent trip with a group of women to Crystal River, Florida, a juvenile was persistent in forcing an interaction with me. I believe in passive observation only and don’t ‘pet’ them. If they want to nose around my dry suit, play with my camera housing or suck on my hair, I don’t mind. But I don’t encourage the contact by excessive touch. I want them to be wild for their own good.

But this little one refused to leave me alone until I lowered my camera and held my hand out in the water. She swam to my hand and laid her head snugly in my palm and we maintained eye contact. My heart and entire being was open to the connection and it felt as if we crossed space and time where different species gain understanding and trust. After I gently pulled my hand back and swam on, I sobbed into my mask and thought, why do these animals trust us when their near-destruction is at our hands? I felt honored and blessed and as usual, deeply changed from the interaction.

So the story of the recent abuse of a baby made me nearly crazy with grief. The family had no concept of respect for the baby, no understanding that this darling manatee child was such an important link in the recovery of a seriously endangered species. I weep for this and all ignorance with which humans continue to destroy our beautiful planet–ourselves. As a collective it seems we see no connection between ourselves and other species, rivers, oceans….How did we become so separate from nature, from each other?

A dear friend of mine had a wonderful solution. He suggested that the family be ‘sentenced’ to work in a manatee rehabilitation center so they can truly understand the fragility of these gentle beings. Of course! What an amazing idea. For, as he said, we are taught by example. We learn from others. What better way to understand another species than to be taught directly by them. We can truly and profoundly understand another by helping them heal their wounds.

I think they see the reflection in the housing port...they are truly fascinated with cameras — I think they see the reflection in the housing port…they are truly fascinated with cameras

And this idea is applicable with all species, including other humans.

It is time to start asking the right questions and devoting ourselves to the healing of all beings. For that truly is how we learn about their suffering, their challenges. When we learn compassion, seeds of peace are planted. And that can only lead to a better world.