As with many people during Covid, my childhood friend @JStCPatrick has become not only a bird watcher, but a bird photographer. Bird watching has been a past time for centuries. It not only gets us out into nature, but it causes us to slow down and pay attention to the beauty of the nature surrounding us. In the words of 2021 – to be mindful – to slow down and smell the flowers!
As a Covid principal in an elementary school, I developed a multi-age bird unit to support teachers with online instruction way back when the pandemic first started. John and I have no end of fun talking about bird antics and sharing pictures with the Wild About Vancouver Community and beyond. Making discoveries about the birds that have lived under our noses for our entire lives. A few weeks back, John posted this picture of a Spotted Towhee who perched on a lichen covered, cherry branch close to his balcony in The University of British Columbia Endowment Lands.
This picture quickly climbed to almost 500 likes. It has stimulated a lot of conversation about why. John is also an artist and I am a lover of art. We’ve spent much of our lives looking at art and discussing it. This photo seems to have jumped across the chasm from “picture of this cool bird I saw” to art.
What is it about this subject that has piqued interest and garnered appreciation?
Is it the angle that allows us to see the beak, the round, black pupil in the little brown eye, the white spots on the wing feathers, the red breast, the white peaking out of the tail feathers, and the ominous claws on the legs?
Is it the contrast of the green lichen and the red breast?
Is it the blurred background that creates the clarity of the foreground?
John and I would love to hear your opinion – photograph or art?
What makes you say that?
The conversation continues…
A Wild About Vancouver Wednesday post. @WildAboutVan
Inquire2Empower Consulting 