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Hiding in Plain Sight

We can learn a lot from nature, if we pay attention.

her young, a female screech owl sleeps in a hole in a tree where she has nested, camouflaged by her surroundings. The tree was above a sidewalk in a woman’s yard in a city neighborhood. Many who walked below likely never noticed her or the male owl higher in the tree. (Photograph by David LaBelle)
Great Picture Hunt

August 2, 2022

David LaBelle

Author

One critical lesson is how nature provides birds, animals and insects with the camouflage they need to hide or hunt. 

Though chameleons are clearly the most famous for adapting to their environment, leopards, vipers, butterflies and even owls use camouflage to go unnoticed, either hiding from predators or enabling them to capture prey.   

They hide in plain sight. 

Humans use camouflage in similar ways. 

I remember listening to an interview with writer/actor Sylvester Stallone years ago, sharing how he missed the days when he could sit on a park bench and observe others, listening to their conversations without being noticed. His success as a celebrity changed that.  

As photographers or writers, we can hide in plain sight by not drawing attention to ourselves. How we dress, where we stand or sit, and especially how we move greatly influence how others perceive us and our ability to make candid or unrehearsed pictures.

Some photographers dress loudly and carry so much gear around their necks or over their shoulders they look like strutting, mating peacocks, wanting to be seen, with little desire to blend into their environment.   

Most of us pass by hundreds of treasures because we are in a hurry and too busy to notice.

Take a moment to look for creatures—both animal and human—hiding in plain sight.

Reader Challenge

Move slowly, deliberately and quietly. See if you can find a camouflaged creature hiding in plain sight, whether in the country or city. Perhaps you will find a famous person blending in to an everyday environment, unnoticed. 

Email your best image (just one, please) with caption information, including an explanation of how it affects you, to GPH@pur.coop. We may share submissions on our website and social media channels.