Solitude

When I started out in photography I wanted to travel to the national parks and shoot all the cool landscapes I had seen done by other landscape photographers.  I've visited over ten national parks, and have to say, it's not an experience that I want when I want to be in nature.  The parks have become over crowded and I've lost all desire to visit them.  There are a few national parks that are lesser known that I may go to, but the big names, I'm done with those.  The one thing I have always loved about macro photography is that I can get my nature fix by just going to local parks and wander the woods and fields, and not see another sole.  That is so important to me that I experience nature with no outside distractions from people.  I've spent 18 years visiting my local parks and honestly in those 18 years I have never run into another human while shooting macro in the woods.  I need these private experiences with nature to keep my mind charged and happy.  I don't even care if I come home with some images worth keeping, I just need those times to be all alone in the woods, and if I photograph something really cool, then it's just a bonus.  The photography part turned out very well for me, and I'm glad I can combine two things that makes me happy.  Happy trails.