Walking the South West Coast Path involves the eyes. In paying attention to the world around me, I notice the shapes, structures, and vistas of tangible objects. Along with color, these are indispensable elements to physical entities in this world of ours. The following photos come from our natural environment; the next blog will look at how we humans have interacted with our world.

Some of the most eye-catching and most immediately noticeable are the wide vistas. At various points, I could literally see for miles up and down the coastline. Sometimes the shoreline right in front of me catches my eye.

The water of the English Channel interacting with the shore is always fascinating. How long are we mesmerized by the waves coming on shore? Sometimes only a few hundred feet inland, the grass and reeds grow wildly. Then there are the clouds!

As I walk on the South West Coast Path, I walk through woodlands. At times, I see a beautiful solitary tree. or a tree shrouded by fog. At other times, I can’t help but notice a tree’s needles. And, at other times, the dead tree or stump. In this case, roots lifting a tree trunk, or what remains of the tree trunk, from the dark soil.

Often I miss the simpleness of objects. Yet, there is so much to see in terms of simpleness. Shapes that are round, triangular, spiraling, unusual straight lines of nature. Sizes from large and small. Structures clear; structures complex.

There are other living life forms, from mushrooms to leaves. Two alum plants stretching toward the heavens as far as possible. A never-ending, spiraling ammonite, similar to the one Mary Anning found in Dorset, which is 200 million years old!

Joseph McBrayer, who knows more about photography than most of us put together, lent me a book Spirituality in Photography before I left. Besides helpful suggestions, I pause when I read George Herbert’s words.

“A man that looks on glass,

On it may stay his eye;

Or if he pleaseth,

through it pass,

And then the heav’n espy.”

I’ve only posted photos in black and white. Black and white highlight the lines and shapes. Although color photos are beautiful, they may hide such lines and shapes.

More and more and more. Enjoy the photographs.