Summer Rain

It’s raining this morning. A wonderfully peaceful time to sit quietly and write.

I took the camera out a few days ago and made another ambient nature film here in northwest Missouri. It was raining intermittently, with some low rumbling thunder here and there and lots of birdsong. My favorite part of this film is the downpour of rain moving across the lake like several million tiny graceful dancers. Every time I watch it I’m filled with excitement, which means I’m either very easily amused, or just totally in love with the natural world, or both. I’m also quite proud of my audio design in this film, as I successfully removed most of the traffic noise from the nearby interstate (several miles away but still quite loud), as well as a few louder pops from raindrops hitting the mic (a comparison and process video is forthcoming on Patreon). I have much to learn in this genre of art-making, but it excites me to engage in that process. Every new film is something new learned, and I think I’m getting better.

I know ambient nature films aren't everybody's cup of tea, and I get it. Narrative is good. I actually want to create documentary style adventure films, too, but there's something about ambient nature films that I really love. Sometimes it’s nice to just be in a sacred space, physically or metaphysically, and feel whatever you feel. I want to create that for viewers through these films.

Even in my still photography, I strive to make images that portray nature as sacred space. I don't endeavor to make "stunningly beautiful" photographs. There's more to the experience—to these places—than that, and to make beauty the primary focus of nature photography, of any art, is to lessen the value of such experiences. I want to encourage people to slow down and look around in each still image, because that's exactly what it's like to be out there. You're immersed in this enormous magnificent wild space that is far bigger than any of us, and there’s so much more around you than what you can see at first glance. Life is embedded in every detail.

I have similar goals with these ambient nature films. I want to encourage others to slow down and notice the little things, like ants scurrying across tree bark, and tiny cottonwood seeds floating on a breeze, or a daddy long-legs crawling across a leaf. There is always something new to be discovered in the natural world, and that’s both beautiful and promising.

As our everyday lives become more and more inundated with AI experiences, I find myself longing for what is real. Creating these nature films in the way that I'm currently approaching them (no stock footage or audio) gives me an opportunity to share something with others that is both artistic expression and real.

I just ordered a couple of different types of contact mics and am looking forward to adding new layers of sound to my ambient nature films. Consider subscribing to “From Wild Places” on YouTube to follow along on this artistic journey.