Typically when I head off to Washington’s wild places, my trips are all about photography, or adventure, or both. I take my backpack loaded with the food, water, and clothing that I might need for a day (or several days) out. And of course I take a camera, a couple of zoom lenses, and a tripod.
More importantly, I take a mind that is open and ready to engage fully with the visual feeling of an environment.
Last Friday, however, as I was preparing for a trip to the Washington Coast, my traveling companion (my dear mate) made it known that she’d appreciate it if this outing differed, stylistically and conceptually, from my usual, jock, dirt-bag mode of adventure. It was Valentine’s Day and my funny valentine had planned a “getaway” for us. She’d booked a room at a nice lodge on the Pacific Ocean (no camping out in a tent with my smelly hiker friends this trip) and made reservations in the lodge’s dining room for a special Valentine’s dinner (no freeze-dried backpacker food this day.)
“Can this trip not be about photography?” she asked. And, believe it or not, I understood exactly what was being asked of me.
You see, I get it that, to someone not uber-engaged in photography, there are other, non-image-making kinds of enjoyment one might find when strolling a beach on the ocean. There are tidal patterns in the sand to marvel at, crashing waves to see and hear.
Thus, once we checked into the lodge, I left my camera bag and tripod in our room. My valentine and I did several walks on the beach. I did have a compact camera in my pocket, and I shot a couple of snaps, kind of tourist-like. But by and large, I was there, and present, and I tried to be good company.
I believe I can report that a good time was had by all.
