Mindfulness is something none of us born with and learn only if someone takes the trouble to teach us. Otherwise, we tend to rush through our days and chores, chasing deadlines and timestamps, so engrossed in getting things done that we overlook the simple things, the beauty of the little details, or sometimes even the bigger ones. Many of my fellow photographers will not their heads in agreement when I say that having a camera on hand, no matter what shape, size or model, is a must because there are instances that you pass by and can never return to.
I have been waiting for winter to photograph the Schloss Charlottenburg by daybreak or by night after work, but since I am so tired in the evenings, I tend to take the fastest route home with the subway and skip the place altogether. Yesterday morning I left home in pitch darkness and caught the bus that would take me directly to the palace on the way to the office. Much to my horror, the Christmas market (one of 30 in Berlin) has already been set up, thereby blocking the entire view of the palace entrance. So much for that plan.
So I got off at the zoo and took the slightly longer walk to work, taking my time and enjoying the sights and details. This is the crop of my mindfulness walk:
and last but not least, is this little treasure:
This last shot was the true lesson in mindfulness, as it was a just a puddle on the sidewalk, but since I had the time to actually look into the puddle to discover the reflection of the tree as a backdrop to the leaves.
FrogDiva Thoughts 