I picked up a Nikon D3500 a couple of months ago so I could begin exploring the world of photography. While I still have so much to learn, I am enjoying that I can capture the beauty of the world around me with a click. Growing up my family would go camping every year. I, along with my cousins would explore the mountains that surrounded our campsite. We would lay on the forest floor and look up through the web of leaves. Follow the sound of squawking birds and hoof prints in the mud. We also had the opportunity to witness many animals when we would play in the cool water of nearby streams. It was a very free and uninhibited feeling to explore and be at peace with nature. I remember once on a hike I caught sight of sunlight reflecting off a small stream behind some brush. I followed the light and found the most beautiful clearing. The way the light reflected off of the wet rocks and water, it seemed almost dreamlike and magical. At that time I was young but even