NATURE DRIVING A CREATIVE MIND BY PARKS MARILLA

When I venture into the wilderness, my stress diminishes, my voice of self-judgment does not exist and my eyes open up to a different world of adventure.

Wildlife photography is my favorite hobby. When close to animals, I put myself in their shoes to get the shot. My behavior changes drastically based on the creature I try to advance toward. In the case of approaching a white-tailed deer, I walk slowly in a diagonal path toward it, whereas a predator would approach head-on. Also, I stop moving frequently and avoid eye contact to prove I am not a threat. Once close enough, I make myself look as small and motionless as possible. Then, I look through my lens and spam the shutter button before the deer has fulfilled its curiosity in me and runs off. Another strategy: hide and wait for the deer to walk up to me. My creative mind, beneficial to making successful approaches, is used to come up with ideas on the fly regarding how I will get as close as possible without being a disturbance. These skills were not taught to me. . . I obtained them through ridding the judgment in my head, being driven by my passion for nature, and by failing (scaring off an animal). Allowing these things to happen has allowed me to come up with creative solutions, after many iterations, on how to track, approach, and photograph wildlife in new ways.