Last week Justin and I had the great opportunity to hear a talk by National Geographic photographer Bertie Gregory who, at the ripe old age of 24, travels the world photographing animals in the wild. He is gifted, articulate and committed to conservation. His stories, photos and video clips were awe-inspiring.
Bertie was considered rather an odd duck as a child. When the other boys were playing sports after school, he would be immersed in a local pond trying to get on level with a swan for a great shot. As a youth, he got a stellar opportunity to be paired with a masterful photographer as a part of a mentorship program. His excitement soon turned to disappointment. Whereas other mentee photographers were traveling to remote regions of the world and filming exotic animals, Bertie was tasked with a comparatively mundane assignment:urban wildlife.
Amazingly, the closer he looked at the familiar landscape, the more wonder he discovered. Peregrine falcons and their chicks nesting in downtown buildings. Deer rutting in a London Park. The underappreciated personality of squirrels.
What unseen adventures lie on your doorstep?
We tend to think we have to travel far or dream big in order to have adventures but for the curious heart, the open mind, the creative spirit, the brave soul, adventure is all around.
Cooking a new and unfamiliar dish is an adventure. Getting ground level with your camera is an adventure. Exploring a new neighbourhood is an adventure. Experimenting with art materials is an adventure. Trying a new fruit is an adventure. Making a new friend is an adventure.
Become an adventurer this week!
Signal your system that you are ready for adventure by choosing a tool or talisman for the journey. Bertie’s camera is his portal to the adventurer’s world. A camera can work for you too – or a sketchbook or journal. A blog is a great gateway to adventure, giving you structure and motivation to embrace an experience and then share it with the world. What about choosing an adventurer’s outfit? Only you have to know that those boots actually mean you’re ready to explore and that this cap says, “Let’s do this!”
A creative life is one that is rich with experiences – but that doesn’t mean you have to travel far and wide to have them (though you might). The richness of life is available wherever we are if we open ourselves to the adventure.
Bertie has a new show called Wildlife with Bertie Gregory. Here is some of the majesty and wonder he’s been able to capture on his adventure (Note: there is also a some brief but difficult viewing for animal lovers in the Sea Wolf episode)