Planting SeedsDaring Adventures
Usually, the most exciting adventure I have in February is driving through snow to work. This February, I will visit mosques and synagogues, shop at spice markets, photograph artistic tiles and architecture, and maybe even ride a camel.
This past month, I have been preparing for my 12-day trip to Morocco, a study tour with the Chicago Farmers. I studied my trip’s itinerary, researched the exotic places I will visit, and read travel guides. In preparation, I purchased a travel-friendly puffer coat, hiking boots, and a collapsable bag for all of my 3 oz. carry-on bottles.
My biggest purchase before this trip is a new camera. I bought my first DSLR camera with my mom years ago, late one night after Saturday BINGO together. My new camera is mirrorless, but I will be able to use all of my old lenses with a small attachable adapter.
During my trip, I am looking forward to taking photos the most, because I will be able to share my experiences and memories through them once I return home. I love making photo albums and scrapbooks, and I will post my photos online via social media.
Photography is a fun hobby that anyone can easily get into as long as they have a camera – and a little patience and an eye for capturing moments. Famous celebrities that are also shutterbugs include Kenny Rogers, Miley Cyrus, Queen guitarist Brian May, Drew Barrymore, and Leonard Nimoy.
One of my favorite photographers has a unique story. Wilson Bentley, born Feb. 9, 1865, grew up on his family’s farm in Jericho, Vermont, where the annual snowfall can reach up to about 120 inches. He used to spend his winters drawing the shape of snowflakes, but he had difficulties because the snowflakes would melt before he could finish drawing.
When he was 17, Bentley’s parents saved up enough money to buy him his first camera. Bentley used his camera and a microscope to capture the shape of snowflakes, becoming the world’s first-known snowflake photographer.
A children’s book, “Snowflake Bentley” written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Mary Azarian, tells his life story. Kirkus reviews describes the children’s book as “a lyrical biographical tribute to a farmer … whose love of snow and careful camera work expanded both natural science and photography.”
Books of collections of Bentley’s snowflake photographs can still be purchased, as well as his original photographs and glass slides.
Bentley described snowflakes as "tiny miracles of beauty" and snow crystals as "ice flowers." He saw his photography as work “just as important” as the milk collected by dairy farmers. He once said, “Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others.”
Snow is actually quite beneficial to farmers: it is a natural insulator, protecting crops and soil from cold temperatures and wind, it provides moisture, nitrogen, and sulfur as it melts, and creates a dormancy period for perennial plants, such as fruit trees.
Bentley came from an agricultural background and lived his life on his family’s farm. He used his creativity, innovation, and love of STEM to photograph something so simple and small as a snowflake to show the world its wonderous beauty. His photographs helped lead to the start of crystallography, a scientific study that focuses on the arrangement of atoms, ions, and molecules to understand structure, properties, and formation.
Ultimately, it was Bentley’s love of snowflakes that was also his downfall. One evening, he walked home in a blizzard after capturing photos of snowflakes. “The Snowflake Man” became sick with pneumonia and died two weeks later, on Dec. 23, 1931. During the 66 years that Bentley lived, he photographed more than 5,000 snowflakes.
Bentley’s love of photography, science, art, and snow is an inspiration to me. I aspire to have his sense of adventure, as well as his ability to document and share, as I travel abroad this month. After all: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” ~Helen Keller