How does nature, or your photography make you feel?

When you go out to shoot, or maybe even a hike… how does being out in nature make you feel? I don’t mean physically, like getting a good workout or refreshed by getting away from everything. I mean, spiritual, emotional.. After many, many years of being in our National Parks, massive amounts of time on the road.. this is a question I have asked myself for years.

Also, for years.. my answer to myself has been very confusing. I know I have had a feeling… but could never put my finger on what it was. I also know that the feeling seemed to grow on every trip.. it got deeper. I could feel it. Sometimes , while at certain locations , certain valley’s, mountain ranges, lakes… it was almost overwhelming. So I would question myself on what it was i was feeling. Trying to narrow it down, what is this feeling? I tried giving it a name, figure out a single feeling… was it sadness? Was it happiness? Was it loneliness? ….. I found out it wasn’t a single solitary feeling…

It was all of them.. most of it was feeling small, insignificant, sad, happy, lonely, lucky, and more… all wrapped together.. and none of it in a bad way. When sitting in front of a mountain range I feel small, nothing in my life matters, or has ever mattered to them. They are millions of years old and will be there millions more. I am not even a speck of time to them. I get sad.. sometimes extremely sad knowing that one day will be my last day ever seeing a sight like that again. I get happy and feel lucky that I am there in the moment. I get lonely knowing I’m there , looking at this, feeling this all by myself..even if someone is with me.. I feel lonely knowing we all are, in the big scheme , alone on this ride..

It is a very humbling , emotional, spiritual feeling.. I have sat in a spot on a cliff edge, or an overlook, along a river or stream for hours. Taking in those feelings, having inner conversations, and i think it is a feeling everyone needs and should have. I look forward to each and every time I get the chance to have those feelings….. How does it all make you feel?