I am one person in a population of over half a million people residing in the county of Denver. When I take a step back to look at people, I always find them fascinating. We are all so different, yet we have things in common. I’ve even come to the conclusion that I have something in common with everyone I see.

That isn’t a stretch of my imagination. Sometimes, what we have in common can be as simple as being in the same 50 square-foot area at the same time. When I’m exploring Denver, what I have in common with others can be a hindrance or a benefit. I tend to do a bit of wandering when I’m out and about. Getting somewhere by the most direct route saves time but doesn’t always work for me.

An indirect route allows me to take in experiences I might otherwise miss. Yesterday, while visiting a friend so that we could attend an event together, we took a very indirect route to get where we were going. As a result, I took several photos on the way that I wouldn’t have otherwise. At the end of the day, we took a direct route home and I didn’t take a single photo.

For me, getting photo opportunities is a paramount motivator when I’m out and about these days.

Taking photos makes each and every day memorable. And when the day has passed, I can still enjoy the day because I captured it and can experience a moment, a day, a feeling, people, or a place over and over at my leisure each time I revisit my photos.

Some places don’t inspire me to take a photo. While that may be true on a hot summer day, it may be completely different with two feet of freshly fallen snow at sunrise. This is one of the reasons I frequently find myself visiting the same places and wandering when going to a specific place.

At times, I really enjoy seeing Denver by myself so that I can be free to move about in an erratic way or spend several hours in a general area to get more photos or that special photo that is obtainable only with patience. When I’m tired or my feet hurt, I find a place to rest. At other times, having a friend helps me to see things differently and be aware of capturing the moment from multiple perspectives.

It’s interesting that photography is a social activity as much as it can also be an anti-social activity. There are times I’ve wished I could have the entire location to myself. There have been numerous times I had a great photo opportunity and out of nowhere I see someone standing in a place that totally blocks the subject. So, I’ve had to learn to be patient. This moment will pass and I’ll get the chance to either have a good photo, or I’ll move on to someting else. Sometimes I return at a later time or day.

Everyone has different reasons for being where they are at any given time. That’s a nice thing about Denver - if it weren’t for all the people, it would not be the lively place that offers so many places to take photos. If I’m in a hurry, I miss out. But I try to respect the space of others so they can do what they need and want.

The other day, I wanted to take a photo near the 16th Street Mall downtown. I’d taken photos on the same block many times. But when the sun shines down in such a way that is inviting, I do not want to miss the chance to have a different photo. Unfortunately, a young teenager had been left in charge of his baby sister while the parents disappeared into a nearby store. The young boy decided that he could entertain himself by pushing his sister’s stroller down a ramp over and over.

The top of the ramp was exactly in the middle of where I was trying to capture a photo. Each time other people would move out of the way, the boy was at the top of the ramp ready to push the stroller again to make his sister giggle gleefully. He wasn’t in a hurry to descend the ramp, and the ramp was too short for him to be out of the way for long. I waited almost 15 minutes before finally giving up.

I could have made the most of the moment and asked if I could take his photo. However, I’m not usually very interested in taking photos of people downtown unless it’s in such a way that they are a small element in the composition, not the focus. When I don’t know the person, the photo means less to me. I have photo-editing software that allows me to remove undesirable portions of photos, but if I can’t easily crop an edge off the photo, then it becomes too much work for the end result.

So, I wander about from place to place, letting the moment inspire me but learning to be patient and flexible when I’m by myself, with friends, or when in the same space as some of Denver’s other residents and visitors. If I don’t learn to yield than I’m forcing myself into a box - who wants a photo of a box?