Finding the Light

Happy Solstice, and an invitation to the present moment

Today we're celebrating light, eagerly awaiting its slow return. Here, north of Yellowstone National Park, the days are very, very short this time of year. The sun dips behind Sepulcher Mountain (one of the peaks towering over the little town of Gardiner, Montana, where we live) at 3:30pm! We're looking forward to more mornings like the one in my picture above, a -20 degree morning chasing the light through the frosted cottonwoods of Lamar Valley.

I’ve been enjoying the quiet season very much. The park has felt nearly empty in the lull between the fall and winter seasons, and I spend every free day I can driving the Park’s northern range, reveling in the stillness and solitude.

Soon we'll head to the Lamar Valley Buffalo Ranch for my husband George's New Year's Wildlife Watching class. It's an annual tradition for us to ring in the new year with friends old and new in this remarkable outpost in the midst of a vast wilderness.

My gift to you this solstice is an invitation from my Mindful Photography Retreat, called Finding the Light (“invitation” is a gentle way of saying “activity”). If taking a few moments for yourself to take a deep breath, connect with the present moment, and kindle your creative spark sounds appealing, this is for you!

All you need is your smartphone.

First, drop in to the present moment

My favorite way to get ready for a mindful photography session and “drop in” to the present moment is to start with a short sensory awareness meditation. I’ve recorded one here, which you can listen to on-the-go here in your podcast app, or just hit “play” below if you’re in the Substack app.

Mindful Photography Invitation: Finding the Light

Prefer to listen instead of read? Here’s the audio version:

Take a moment to connect with your surroundings and focus on exploring light, in all the way it shows up. You might notice the interplay of light and shadow, or the way the light makes something shine or sparkle. You might notice reflected light, a reflection, places where the light shines through or around, where it creates shadows, what it illuminates.

As you photograph, imagine the light entering your heart and reflecting back out into the world.

I like to do this invitation outside, but anything is fair game. Holiday decorations bring a lot of light indoors this time of year.

If you’d like, you can jot a few lines about your experience in a journal. How did this session make you feel? What things did you notice?

That’s it! Mindful photography is about tuning into the present moment and appreciating meaning and beauty through your unique lens, more than it is about capturing Instagram-worthy images. No pressure here!

I invite you to share your favorite image–and your inspiration for it– in the chat thread here, or send your favorite to a friend to brighten their day.

Happy solstice, friends!

Jenny

Wilder Life is a sanctuary for slow living, creativity, and deep nature connection—an ad and algorithm free space of belonging where kindred spirits cultivate an intentional, meaningful life rooted in curiosity, joy, and the wild beauty of the natural world. Will you join me?