Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, partially because it involves cooking a large, complicated meal and I always enjoy cooking—and sharing—large, complicated meals. My holiday meal this year was complicated because I did all of the cooking myself, not because I selected any fancy recipes. After integrating more modern dishes over the last few years, the traditional sides—sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, biscuits, corn, and stuffing—seemed most appealing as I prepared my grocery list so those are the dishes that ended up on my table (in addition to a less traditional apple cake for dessert).
Another thing I appreciate about Thanksgiving is seeing other people share their gratitude. Amidst so much constantly heavy, negative news, it is lovely to enjoy a day of reading posts that focus on positive things. After seeing these many posts plus some news stories about the mental health benefits of expressing gratitude, I went down a rabbit hole of reading to learn more. This short article from Arthur Brooks at The Atlantic (gift link with no paywall) is a nice summary of the research, historical underpinnings, and practical advice about “Four Ways to Be Grateful—And Happier.” The reason I appreciated this article in particular is how Brooks likens gratefulness to exercise: to the reap the benefits, you have to practice.
While expressing thanks on Thanksgiving is a good thing, many of us could benefit from integrating a gratitude practice more deeply in our day-to-day lives. In reading about how to establish these habits, one of the most common pieces of advice is to regularly journal since the act of writing something down can make it seem more tangible, can help us articulate why something spurs on a feeling of gratitude, and can help us focus on the positive even if we are feeling more of the negative.
As photographers, we are fortunate that creating a photo is essentially an act of journaling. With some simple additional habits, we can extend creating a photo into also being an act of expressing gratitude. In the past, I regularly hiked and photographed with a friend who thanked her subjects out loud, often saying something nice about them and expressing appreciation for their participation in her photography. I always thought this practice was charming but never felt motivated to do it myself. Now, after reflecting more on her practice and all of my recent reading, I realize I should do this more often. Even if I am not quite ready to do it all out loud, I could benefit from consistently adding a deliberate pause for gratitude when I am out photographing.
If a lovely collection of green moss and speckled lichen is growing in an intricate pattern on a beautifully textured tree trunk or a colorful rock and this medley draws me in for a photo, it is simple to pause and express some gratitude for the moment: I am thankful to be outside surrounded by this forest of Engelmann oak trees, which are a new species to me. I am grateful to have the time to spend wandering among them in the rain, enjoying the forest, rocks, and plants that surround me. I am thankful that photography has helped me learn to appreciate the beauty in scenes and subjects like the one in front of me. A minute or two spent like this during each photography outing seems like a good way to extend the practice of taking photos to also include a form of gratitude journaling.
Over this holiday, I have reflected on some of the things I am most grateful for as a nature photographer. I am sure many of you reading this feel the same way about some of the items on this list, and also have your own that are specific to your situation. I invite you to take a few minutes to make your own list and join me in shared appreciation for finding such a fulfilling and challenging way to spend time in nature and pursue creative expression.
I am thankful to be able to regularly spend time interacting with the natural world through photography. It is a true gift to be able to photograph a mix of everyday subjects, oddities, and conventionally appealing landscapes and have other people appreciate my photos almost as deeply as I do.
Nature photography offers me a sense of purpose and community. Although I usually do not stay interested in things for more than a few years, I am more excited about photography now than I was when I started taking it seriously almost 15 years ago. I am excited to wake up in the morning and get to work on advancing my photography-related goals. I feel fortunate to spend much of my time on a pursuit that constantly challenges me both mentally and physically.
In addition to meeting Ron through nature photography, I have met many interesting, kind, and supportive people with similar interests. While I wish I could see many of these people more often and deepen those relationships, I am thankful to be part of a growing community of like-minded photographers.
While I would get outside for recreation without photography, my photo practice helps focus my efforts and has encouraged me to explore much more extensively than I might have otherwise. And, after spending part of the year injured and taking a break from hiking, I am grateful for being back on the trail. No back pain during a twenty-mile backpack in Zion National Park a few weeks ago was a big gratitude milestone.
Photography has helped me see the world more deeply and has motivated me to learn more about the places I visit. Both of these things make my day-to-day experiences much richer.
I am thankful that a surprisingly large number of people care enough about my photography and writing to read my articles and open my newsletters, buy my ebooks, and support my other endeavors to the point that I have been able to turn this hobby into a mostly fulfilling career.
Accessible, affordable software makes it possible to reach thousands of people and build a creative business with only basic technical skills. I am thankful to live in a time where I can create opportunities for myself instead of being dependent on gatekeepers to help me find an audience for my photography and writing.
Despite all the bad things about social media, there are many positives. I feel fortunate to be able to see so much high-quality photography on a daily basis and be able to directly engage with the people creating it. Social media also makes it much easier to learn about and support the important work being done to conserve wild places.
After reflecting on the benefits of developing a gratitude practice and thinking about my current habits, I can be better at three specific things going into the new year:
Stop scrolling and start engaging on social media. I am going to set aside 15 to 30 minutes per day for social media, with the goal of engaging with the posts in my feed in a more focused, meaningful way. It is so easy to mindlessly scroll but it seems like slowing down and leaving more thoughtful comments is a good way to show more appreciation for photographers I admire.
Beyond social media, I want to more regularly let other photographers know how much I appreciate their work or contributions to the nature photography community through simple things like sending brief notes or commenting on blog posts and articles. I appreciate getting these comments and notes so I should be better about expressing appreciation when I read other people’s contributions to this field.
I want to engage with conservation nonprofits that are doing good work in the places I care about and more directly express thanks, through both words and donations, more frequently.
Thank you, so much, for reading my blog posts and appreciating my photography. If you have anything to share about why you are grateful for your photography practice or how you might integrate gratitude more formally into your habits, I’d love to read more in the comments below.
About the Photos: In the spring of 2023, we spent a few weeks photographing wildflowers in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California. The town of Julian, above the park and to the west, is known for its pies so we went to look for a pie. In addition to finding pie and some apple dumplings, we also came across the lovely Santa Ysabel Nature Preserve. We spent a long, rainy afternoon hiking in the area, photographing the Engelmann oak trees, and looking for small scenes in the area. Always stop at the local nature reserves!
Sarah Marino is a full-time photographer, nature enthusiast, and writer based in southwestern Colorado. In addition to photographing grand landscapes, Sarah is best known for her photographs of smaller subjects including intimate landscapes, abstract renditions of natural subjects, and creative portraits of plants and trees. Sarah is the author or co-author of a diverse range of educational resources for nature photographers on subjects including composition and visual design, photographing nature’s small scenes, black and white photography, Death Valley National Park, and Yellowstone National Park. Sarah, a co-founder of the Nature First Alliance for Responsible Nature Photography, also seeks to promote the responsible stewardship of natural and wild places through her photography and teaching.