Moments of Quiet

It’s easy to imagine my life as a perpetual vacation and in many ways that’s not far from the truth.  One of the ways in which it’s misleading though is that most people want to pack their vacations with as much as they can.  It makes sense given how little vacation time most people have, but it’s strange that even vacations taken to relax are often packed solid with meditation classes, spas and one massage after another, leaving hardly a moment for calm reflection.

Part of being a photographer is taking the time to notice the beauty of ordinary things.

For me there is no such hurry, so I often live life at a measured pace.  While intense moments on mountain tops or nights at the opera make for great post topics, a calm unhurried existence is one of the greatest enhancement my life has experienced since leaving the office.  Many people have taken the time to look at Van Gogh’s “Haystacks”, but how many people get to enjoy haystacks just as they are?

Perhaps not the photo, but the field was a match for any Van Gogh.

Reflections like these always remind me of the lives lived by monks and the time I’ve been lucky enough to share with them.  These photos were captured during my time at Pluscarden Abbey (read the posts here and here) and even though it was one of the quietest weeks of my life, it remains one of the most memorable.  The quiet moments of life have their charm too.

A life less hurried…