Maneuverability

I think I just made up a new word.  But, that’s OK, right? (Actually, now that I’ve run spell check, apparently it’s a real word.  Who knew?)  You might be wondering what I mean and what I’m trying to say.  Here goes.

After an appointment in Arlington the other day, I decided to wander about with my camera for a bit.  Some exercise, fresh air, and a new area to explore – what could be more pleasant?  Mass Ave in the middle of the day can be rather uninspiring photography-wise, but that didn’t stop me from trying.  A few flowers, a store front, and a church steeple were all candidates for the lens.  Nothing very spectacular, but sometimes the joy is in the hunt.

So, crossing one of the streets, there was a little island in the middle.  And in the island was planted a rose bush. And, as can be predicted, on that rose bush were some roses.  So, of course I stopped on the island to snap a few.  Here’s one.

The background is kind of busy.  The bloom is nice and the lighting, but the rest of the picture ruins it.  And, since this was my point-and-shoot, I didn’t have all the options of zooming and such at this distance.  It wasn’t what I wanted.

So, I tried another.

Again, uninspiring.  It’s a flower.  Whoop-di-doo.  Yes, it’s pretty and closer and there’s a less distracting background, but it’s still not what I was looking for.  What attracted me to stop, wasn’t simply the roses, but the back-lighting of the roses.

So, I kept trying.  Which attracted a few stares from drivers passing by.  I mean, here I was ducking and crouching in the middle of a rose bush trying to get the point of view I wanted.  I’m sure it was a sight to see!  So, here is the result, also not entirely what I was going for, but much closer.  I gave up after this one because I had thorns up my butt.

I would have liked to not have the buildings in the image.  That might have required moving a telephone pole and crouching down even a little lower into the thorns.  I was already getting enough stares as it was, so I kinda gave up.

So, what does this have to do with maneuverability?  Well, sometimes it takes work to see something from a particular point of view. And we can’t always see it until we step outside of our comfort zone.  Sometimes you have to be willing to be started at, move obstacles, and get thorns up your butt to see something from a particular point of view.  Often times, it’s worth the trouble.

So, next time you find yourself in an uninspiring situation, try maneuverability.  Change your perspective.  You never know, the results can be transforming.