Around the Bend

This great guardian of the woods hides in plain sight, just off the main path in Waterfall Glenn Park in Lemont, Illinois. And I almost missed it. The day started poorly. I was full of indecision that day. I had changed my mind about where to shoot on my way to the car. I decided not to go to the beach and instead head towards the woods for some fall color. Once I arrived at the second choice for the day, I was despondent over the number of people there and how “manicured” the park seemed to be. It felt far more like a colossal garden than the chaotic woods I was used to, so I decided not to stay. I got out the ol’ Google Maps and picked a different nearby park I was considering, and off I went. Once I had arrived, it seemed a better fit for my mood that day, at least on the surface. I parked the car, grabbed my camera bag, and explored. I was quickly disenchanted with this location as well. Half of the trail I had picked (a four-mile loop trail) followed an old rusty fence topped with barbed wire surrounding a government building of some sort. This did not instill a sense of wonder or being out in nature. All this to say that I was not in the best headspace at any point on this day. I kept walking, hoping it would get better around the bend.

While I had stopped to drink some water, I spotted a large oak tree beside the trail. It must have been nearly three feet across the trunk of this big fella. Most of the foliage had already dropped off of it, and the top branches were a bit spindly for such a big trunk. As I stood there thinking there had to be something I could photograph on this characterful tree, I started to walk around it to look at it from a different angle. And there, on the back side of this tree, was a completely different face. One that desperately needed a portrait. When I discovered the flip side of this tree, my attitude was flipped. This was all it took. A straightforward thing turned my day around. I had gone from a grumbly old man in the park to a happy man creating a portrait for a new friend.

Continuing down the path, going around the bend, was precisely what I needed to do.  I will try remembering this in the future; something could always be better around the bend.