Hiking in the snow & lunch with a friend.

Mark

Yesterday I led a hike in the woods and snow.  Today I had lunch with a friend.  For most this may not be seen as a great weekend, but for me, it was a memorable one.

As part of the hiking club, I belong to they are often asking for hike leaders.  I volunteered to be one.  The role of the leader is to choose a location, time, date and keep a headcount and make sure everyone who starts, finishes.

This hike had a lot of familiarities as I chose my favorite place to hike, Mt. St. Francis, but today was different in a few ways.  First I woke up to about 2-3 inches of snow, next I was unsure how many would attend, and third though I had met some of these people, I didn’t know most of them.  The ones I did know where based on a few brief meetings.

As the hikers slowly arrived I said hello and began gathering my stuff.  Today I didn’t bring my camera as I wanted to focus (pun intended) on leading the hike.  We eventually had all the parties there, formed a quick circle and introduced ourselves.  I laid out the hike plan, counted all 11 of us, designated a sweep and we headed off.  I knew today would be different as there was a lot of chatter from the get-go.

I described each section as we approached and what was to be expected including hidden roots, descents, ascents and possible areas of mud underneath the blanket of snow.  I am by no means fast when I hike, as proven often when I hike with my friend Kristin, but today’s pace was slower than normal.  I am not complaining but I was questioning my planning on going 4 miles and the time it would take to complete it at the current pace.  We made our way into the woods and across the first bridge and then stopped to wait for some to catch up.  We moved along the other side of the lake then across the wooden bridge on crossing the lake, again stopping to wait.  Next, we ascended our first hill, again waiting at the top and finally made it to our first intersection.  I gathered the group and told them the choices of going left which included a downhill, creek crossing, and then ascent up a steep hill or head forward.  The other option was to go straight, turn right and head back to the car.  One older gentleman who was lagging chose option two and the sweep said: “I’ll take him back.”  With the eleven became nine and we headed downhill.

We continued occasionally stopping for a brief moment but at a much quicker pace than before. One of the hikers was a yoga instructor and we stopped to do a brief breathing exercise in the woods.  The 2-minute session was quite peaceful and relaxing.  Something I had done subconsciously in the past, but never with a group.  The brief exercise just added to the ambiance of the surroundings we were in.

Eventually, we completed the hike said our farewells and then headed our separate ways.  It was a first for me but I quite enjoyed the company, and as always enjoyed the hike.

Today I was planning on getting up early and heading to the Falls of Ohio to take pictures with my good friend Mark.  Mother Nature had other plans.  Instead, we planned to meet for lunch and eventually got out to snap a few photos.  At McAllister’s Deli, we ordered sat down and within 2 minutes our food was served.  We both brought our camera gear with a different purpose.  I brought mine to show off my new lens, and he brought him for help with setting up the menus.

Teaching others runs naturally in my family.  My mom, dad, and sister were all or are teachers in the school system.  I was the black sheet and chose another path, yet I still have the teaching in my DNA.  I have a few friends (Darci, Steve, and Mark) that ask for help when it comes to photography, and in certain cases with Fuji specific gear questions.

Today Mark and I discussed setting up custom settings on both his cameras based on documents I complied and created, shared Instagram people we follow and admire, and just talked about how we individually approach and are inspired to shoot.  Mark shared his notebook with observations, tips, and ideas, and I quite like that idea and plan to adopt it.

We spent close to two hours talking, adjusting his camera and just hanging out.  We noticed the rain let up and decided to drive over and grab a few shots.  It was still overcast and quite cool, but hey, camera, friend, woods ….. Heaven for me.  Not the ideal situation for shooting but I was able to grab some good shots.

I get and learn a lot from shooting with others.  I feel Mark, Chris and I have similar styles of shooting, but we help point out things when we are together that alone we may not see.  This helps drive my desire and passion to shoot, and I have been told by both Chris and Mark it helps them as well.  I hope to continue to have Darci, Kim, and Alan join us as often as they can.

I will continue to learn what I can, and share what I can.  I will also teach those who are willing to learn and accept what I am trying to convey.  I always begin with “I am not a pro, but I know a little about photography.”  Anyone can be a good photographer, it just takes practice and the patience to learn.

I am glad I got to do these things this weekend.  It brings joy to my heart to spend time with my friend Mark and share my ‘little place’ with others during a snowy picturesque place.  It’s the little things in life that matter, and these two experiences meant a lot to me.

Until next time,

Tim