Sorry to interrupt your Solitude

In September, I visited Glacier National Park again (I’m running a couple of Glacier Photography Workshops next year). It was terrible weather and I was solo. Much of the trip was just forcing myself to get out into the rain and take pictures. I ended up with some great waterfall images and the weather did clear now and then.

I was solo and wasn’t feeling all that talkative when I was there, so I’d say hi to hikers but didn’t strike up much conversation. When I’d reach my photography destination, sometimes I’d just sit down and take it all in while trying to clear my mind from all the racing thoughts. Sometimes disappearing into myself instead of taking the time to experience being there.

I must have looked like I wanted to be left alone, because on several occasions someone said to me, “Sorry to interrupt your solitude.”

In the past, I’ve never really considered having my solitude interrupted. It’s just something that I’ve accepted as happening because we live in a country with a lot of people. While there are great open spaces, I don’t think I’ve been on many trips where I haven’t run into someone else. I’ve done a few late-season solo trips in the Boundary Waters and on those I’ve gone a week without seeing anyone else. But, that’s now harder because more paddlers are visiting during the shoulder seasons.

Regardless, being a photographer is a solitary pursuit. Even when people surround us, we seldom connect with them as we try to express ourselves through our photos. When a photographer’s eye disappears behind the viewfinder, it’s like they disappear from the world. Little can capture their attention other than the view in front of them.

Sometimes that solitude can get lonesome, but loneliness is what makes the best work.

Sorry to interrupt your solitude.