Today at the Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center we prepared for our first photography workshop based on “21 Days of Mindful Photography.” The book asks people to photograph within their homes to start out with, giving them the experience that their familiar windows can become new eyes on the world, and the idea that their own vision can change within familiar surroundings.

We wondered how we could accomplish the same goals in a museum setting. What we decided was to have participants choose their favorite view from the smaller upper windows in our main room. Next, they’ll move around until they choose a place to stand and essentially “take” their favorite picture through one of the glass panes. The views can include clouds, a variety of trees (Osage orange, Douglas fir, box elder…), and a ship’s mast (we keep a historic replica on land).

Afterwards, we’ll go outside and look for natural windows, beginning by taking photographs of what’s between two trees. The trees will act as the frame, and after our demonstration the participants will be able to find their own trees and views.

Next we’ll search for what’s between a trunk and a branch or, as in this case, two branches and a trunk.

Finally we’ll take pictures of openings within the canopy.

For this workshop, trees will provide all of our outdoor windows. A window is a place to look outward from where you have shelter, and on a hot summer day there is no better shelter than beside a tree. You’re protected from the sun and you have a breeze from leafy fans… It’s also not unusual for trees to frame a window or a photograph. They just usually do it in the form of lengths of processed wood.

The walk on the trails today to scout out locations and take these pictures was altered somewhat by a snake. The snake’s body was motionless on the trail, and at first I thought it might be dead, but closer inspection showed a shaking head and a tongue moving fast. It was a black snake, but even they have a bite, so after I took some pictures we turned around. All of my photos of the snake were slightly blurry. Getting ready to bolt makes for unsteady hands.

The snake seemed dead in the body and alive in the head. I am not one to try to get a snake to move, particularly not one that looked weighted into the ground.