[Matthew James Norman]

Hi all,

I don't know how many of you take your cameras wherever you go, either to capture an event or perhaps get that once-in-a-lifetime shot, but I'm certainly one of them. Or at least have been up until now. Weddings, holidays, birthdays... wherever I went so did my camera. When visiting places of interest I would often find myself alone, the wife having got fed up with my dawdling and shooting everything in site that she wandered off ahead, leaving me to snap away and catch up. I'm sure this is something that a few of you at least may understand.

I took this week off work to spend the week camping with my wife. Unfortunately the typical British weather has once again spoiled our plans so we opted instead to do various day trips to Wales' various and many hertiage attarctions - Old coal mines, iron works, caves, waterfalls, steam railways etc.

I didn't take my camera to any of them.

And, for the first time in a long while, I simply enjoyed walking hand-in-hand with my wife, enjoying the day. I didn't worry about finding interesting subjects to shoot, what angle to shoot from, which way the light was coming, what mode to use, why didn't I bring my tripod, damn my batteries are low... where's the missus? This week I have instead managed to absorb things of interest, planned further walks and visits, enjoyed uncomplicated time with the wife and enjoyed nature for what it is, not the image that I make it.

So maybe next time you're going somehere special or interesting and you automatically reach for your camera, reach for someone elses hand instead, or a flask of tea, or a packed lunch, or a guide book and a pair of boots. Leave the camera behind and view the world around you with your eyes, not through a lens.

All the best,
Matthew