No-Touch Tuesday – Amber Waves

Long Time, No Touch!

I was looking through the hundreds of photos I’ve taken so far this year, and found one that inspired me to resurrect the No-Touch Tuesday category.

I LOVE to edit my photos, almost as much as I love to shoot them. Even the shots that look technically fine get my heavy-handed treatment. I came up with “No-Touch Tuesday” as a way to encourage/force myself to work harder on using proper camera settings to create a photo with better lighting and depth.

As a photographer who primarily takes pictures of constantly moving wildlife, I rarely stop to check settings beforehand and assume a “fix it in post” attitude.

When I scrolled through my photos and saw this shot from September of afternoon sunlight shining through the tops of corn plants, I was overcome with a lovely sense of warmth and peace. The image felt full and and told me a story of seasons and cycles. I loved the rich color, and though it was hard to resist the itch to fine-tune the shadows and saturation, I left it the way I shot it.

The photographer’s eye is always in search of inspiration, and I’m fortunate to have this kind of vision. Gratitude is the key to a happy life, and I’m grateful for the lesson that No-Touch Tuesday teaches me… Nothing exists in a perfect state. It’s in the imperfections that you find true beauty.

Let me know what you think!