Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. –Lao Tzu
Thanks to the modern medicine I’m off on the road in less than 3 weeks after the knee surgery. Just in time to catch the last of wildflowers in Columbia Gorge. That’s where I headed the last weekend.
The first day of the trip I spent stopping at random places because the sky and the light was amazing. I could not just drive by it. I wanted to see it without rushing.
That meant that I got to Columbia Gorge late night and had no time to photograph wildflowers the first day.
The next day, I got on a hike. At first I walked just a little bit, trying to get a sense of it, if the hike was worth it. It was worth it. There was an abundance of variety of wildflowers on the trail. I got back to the car put my backpack, took tripod and went on the hike.
I completely forgot about my knee, hiking, taking photos. Until I got to a top of a hill. I was not even quite at the top yet, when the knee reminded me about itself. It was tired. So, I did something that I had not done since I was a kid. I lied down in the meadow of flowers to rest.
I was lying in the meadow of flowers and the life in the city seemed so distant and remote. All the rush, all the noise, all the chaotic motion seemed so unreal. I was lying in the meadow of flowers and thinking about how I’m trying to make as many pictures as possible on each trip and not giving enough time to take in the experience of being in the place. And just like that I fell asleep.
I woke up a couple hours later greeted by yellow flower hanging over me. I took my camera and captured that simple experience.
vitali prokopenko | fine art 