Viewing life with love and appreciation multiplies its beauty.
“I’ve always been the hopeless romantic that’s a bit philosophical. I’m probably that way because my mother and grandmother always saw the beauty of the world and got really excited about the little things,” said Gail Welter. She is the author and photographer behind “Life as I See It”, a remarkable and genuinely touching blog where she documents places of interest, people she meets, thoughts about life and focuses on collecting moments not things and making moments into memories.
Seeing More
Interested in photography from an early age, like so many, Welter put it aside to tend to the details of being a working woman, wife, mother of two children, and grandmother of three. It wasn’t until she retired that she returned to her camera (for something besides taking pictures of the kids) and in 2014, started her online blog.
“Initially it was for me – documentation to go along with the photos of the places we were going. Now, it’s for anyone who will listen. I’ve had a lot of people say, ‘That’s just what I needed to read, to hear, to be reminded of today’,” said Welter.
Capturing places from a truly unique viewpoint; her landscapes, nature, and old barns take on a whole new life.
“The more you take pictures, the better you see the world. I try to pick out something the average person might miss. People will say, ‘I never saw, never appreciated, never noticed that before’, and I’m challenged to see more,” she said.
Taking It In
In addition to discovering the new, Welter and her husband, John, often return to the same places and document how they change over time.
Saratoga Lake has had a major impact on the way Welter sees the world.
“The lake was instrumental to opening my eyes and appreciating the beauty of the world. It shaped my vision. It’s like going home for me,” said Welter.
Chronicling an old barn in Easton turned out to be a transformative experience.
“That is an example of a life changing experience that other people would’ve considered trivial.It eventually collapsed and that could’ve been the end of the story. I never realized the depths of what would transpire when I contacted the owners to give them a collection of photos I’d taken of their barn. “People are so moved that other people notice and love something they’ve also loved so much. It just transformed grief to celebration” said Welter.
Simply Profound
Illustrating how profound the simple things can be, it is through her flowing narrative that readers can gain a deep understanding of how people and the natural world contain something ancient and unbreakable.
“My best blogs are the ones that just come out without thinking about it. They’re so natural and spontaneous. The words just seem to put themselves on the paper,” she said.
Follow “Life as I See It” on Facebook, Instagram or at LifeAsISeeItPhotography.net
