Use Different Perspectives

Rooted Through Lens & Pen Collab Series with Nicole Webster and Whistleslick Press

Try photographing from unusual angles or close-up details.

Looking at the world differently can inspire fresh insights in your journal.

A Lesson in Presence

Photography by: Nicole Webster

“Photography gets you to look at the world just a little bit differently.”

This is what my college photojournalism professor first taught me—a lesson that became imprinted on me.

Although I had always been a writer, I didn’t pick up a camera until college. It was love at first click. Learning to use photography to illustrate my writing changed the course of my life. But that lesson taught me something I never expected: presence.

I began slowing down in the places I frequented, especially at the beach. Then scuba diving entered my life—an activity that demands slowness, both in breath and in movement. Something remarkable happened. I became more curious, more wonderstruck by the details of the natural world. Patterns, textures, and intricate layers revealed themselves only when I slowed down enough to truly look.

After years of transforming from a materialistic Miami city girl into a professional scuba diver and underwater photographer, I’ve come to believe that appreciation begins with presence.

One question I hear environmentalists and conservationists ask over and over is, How do we get people to care?

I don’t know if there’s one answer, but I believe it starts by helping people slow down long enough to notice.

Photography opened that door for me, just as it has for countless others. While the ocean will always be the center of my universe, my appreciation for the natural world has only deepened as new landscapes and experiences have entered my life. Ironically, those experiences have only inspired me to keep finding my way back to the ocean because, in reality, everything in nature does.

The newest chapter of my journey has led me to Alaska, one of the wildest and freest places I have ever known. The vast landscapes and wildlife living entirely on their own terms can be overwhelming at times. It isn’t always easy to translate that feeling into photographs or words. So instead of trying to capture everything, I return to the details before expanding outward.

I don’t arrive at a location and immediately start shooting.

First, I pause.

I take in the sounds around me. I notice the wind, the smell of the air, the movement of water. I crouch lower, change my perspective, narrow my gaze, and move through the landscape until something catches me. A pattern in the bark. Light filtering through moss. A tiny mushroom pushing through the forest floor.

I stay curious.

As those details accumulate—both in my memory and on my memory card—they inevitably lead me to questions, then to research, and eventually to a deeper understanding of the place. Piece by piece, those individual moments begin weaving themselves into a story.

Photography has permanently changed the way I experience the world.

I notice lines, light, textures, and the tiny creatures that scurry about, largely unseen by most people. I find myself appreciating nature in all its forms, and feeling genuine grief when it is exploited, disrespected, or destroyed.

All because, years ago, someone taught me to look at the world just a little bit differently.

Whistleslick Press’ Reflection

Looking at the world through either your lens or your pen is a beautiful reminder to slow down and truly observe the light, textures, and beauty of the natural world around you. As Nicole mentioned, it’s important not to rush from one thing to the next. Instead, allow yourself the time to pause, journal, grab your camera, and take a walk outside.

Ground yourself by connecting with Mother Nature. Notice the birds singing, the rustling of leaves, the scent of fresh earth after the rain, and the gentle movement of the wind. Begin photographing the details that often go unnoticed. Use a macro lens to zoom in on the intricate petals of a flower or the tiny green fronds of moss, revealing a world of beauty hidden in plain sight. Then, open your journal and write about everything your senses experienced in that exact moment—the sights, sounds, scents, textures, and emotions.

You may find yourself drawn to the forest, the ocean, the prairie, or even the city. Some people are captivated by the stories told through nature, while others are inspired by the way the evening sun reflects off towering skyscrapers or paints the streets in golden light. Wherever you feel called to explore, there are stories waiting to be discovered. They are found in the quiet moments, the overlooked details, and the emotions they awaken, ready to be told through both your pen and your lens.

Photography Prompts

For this week’s reflection, we are going to walk with intention. Before you start, take three deep breaths and set your intention by asking yourself, “What am I hoping to notice today that I normally miss?”

Walk slowly, resist the urge to rush or look at your device. Let your surroundings guide you. As you walk, use your senses:

• One texture that makes you want to reach out and touch it.

• A color you’ve never really noticed before.

• A sound that makes you stop and listen.

• A scent that reminds you of a memory.

• One place where the light catches your eye.

Now take your camera and photograph each discovery! Spend a few moments enjoying each new observation, then move on to the next. When you return home, spend ten minutes writing about your walk. Ask yourself, ‘Tomorrow, I want to notice…’

Journal Prompts

1. What did I notice today that I might have overlooked if I had been in a hurry? Describe the small details that captured your attention. How did they make you feel, and what story do they tell?

2. How did nature invite me to be present?

3. If I photographed only one subject today, what would it be? What drew you to that subject? What emotions, memories, or symbolism does it hold for you?

4. Where do I feel most connected: to the forest, the ocean, the prairie, the mountains, or the city? Explore why that place speaks to your heart. What does it reveal about who you are in this moment of your life?

5. What beauty exists in the smallest details? Choose something tiny like a blade of grass, a patch of moss, the veins of a leaf, a weathered stone, or the texture of tree bark. Describe it as if seeing it for the very first time.

6. How has slowing down changed the way I see the world and myself?

The more present you become, the more stories you discover! And in the smallest details of nature, we often discover the deepest reflections of ourselves.

Order your copy of Rooted Reflections today through Whistleslick Press’ Bookstore

Follow Nicole Webster on Substack: https://substack.com/@bynicolewebster

Follow Whistleslick Press on Substack: https://substack.com/@whistleslickpress

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