Space to Breathe

One of my images in “Breathing Space”, a new exhibit that opened today.

I love the shift in perspective I get when I’m aboard our boat for an extended period of time – when we unplug from the online world, leave the clamour of human affairs behind, cast off our lines and immerse ourselves in the marine world.

Sight lines lengthen and my eyes refocus. No longer surrounded by tall trees, I watch the sky open up to reveal the fascinating dance of advancing and retreating clouds and weather systems.

As my sea legs return, my breathing deepens. The steady rise and fall of the tide – its ebb and flow like the breathing of the planet itself – becomes our metronome for life afloat, and a key factor in many of our daily decisions.

Anchored far away from the usual soundscape of traffic and neighbours’ comings and goings, I’m able to discern new sounds: a baby seal calling for its mom; sandpipers peeping as they forage on the nearby shore; the breaths of a porpoise, swimming slowly back and forth as it feeds outside the bay.

NEW SHOW:  I’ve teamed up with two other members of the Gabriola Photography Club to present a new exhibit, called “Breathing Space”, which runs until April 14, downstairs at the Gabriola Medical Clinic (weekdays). Together, we’re showing about 30 prints, with each of us bringing our own perspective to the theme. You can find more info here.