I have always been fascinated by nature. I enjoyed the science and learning about nature. This was primarily focused on the animal world. I was even a biology major in college at one point. I loved learning about animals.

This love of animals drove my love for photography. As I became interested in photography it became a means to explore my love of animals. Photography for me has always been a way to merge different aspects of my life.

As I have gotten older and I think in large part due to my love of photography I have developed a deeper appreciation for and love of the world of plants as well. I probably spend more time photographing plant life than anything else. Plants in one way or another shape our world and show up in my photography.

Enjoy reading

As an adult I have really grown to enjoy reading. I wish I was a better more focused reader. I can never read all the books that I would like to. Thankfully Audio books have helped me be able to enjoy and learn from so many more books than I ever would be able to read in a traditional sense.

Books on animals and nature always capture my attention. Learning about how nature impacts our lives and how we impact their lives. Learning about what makes nature similar and different from us.

Recently I have enjoyed two of the best nature books I have ever read. Both of these books were available in audio format and I look forward to listening to them multiple times. An Immense World by Ed Yong was an amazing book. So well written and engaging. There was so much fascinating science about how different animals sense the world. How the senses of animals are so different from our own. Can we really ever know what the world is like for other animals?

Books about nature

Another remarkable book I listened to was The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. This book was an eye opener. I love plant life, but I do not have a very well grounded understanding of how it actually exists in the world. What is the world like to a tree? Learning about how trees create energy from the environment around them and how they grow. Reading about the lifespan of a tree and how they can overcome adversities. All of the life aspects of a tree are so well described in a way that is completely comprehensible. There is just a feeling of getting to know trees.

I also read the novel The Overstory by Richard Powers. This is a fascinating work of fiction that centers around trees and nature. Placing human life at the fulcrum of our interactions with nature and how it impacts us and how we impact nature. It was a novel unlike anything else I have ever read.

My love of photography and nature lead me to be interested in these types of books. And then reading these books inspired me to learn more about nature and think more deeply about nature. Then I think about how can I more deeply communicate the life and experience of all of nature through my photography.

What are you reading? What books have impacted you?