🧘‍♂️ ZEN Walk at Peringsmaar – Finding the Essence of Seeing with Just One Lens

by Lars-Henrik Roth

05:05 AM. Parking lot at Peringsmaar. I’m alone. A few birds dart through the bushes. No epic mountains. No canyons. No cinematic sunrise. Just a small lake, open fields, and the silence of an early Saturday morning.

Exactly why I’m here.

🎯 The Plan: Subtraction Instead of Sensory Overload

Lately, I’ve been hiking through dramatic landscapes – devil’s gorges, misty forests, panoramic ridge trails. But I began to feel like I was losing my way of seeing. Too often guided by spectacle. Too rarely truly attentive.

So: back to the beginning.A place with no distractions.One camera. One lens.No zoom. No signal. No goal.

I call this my ZEN Walk.

📷 The Setup

I brought:

• Canon R6 Mark II

• Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM (via adapter)

• CPL filter

No telephoto. No ultra-wide. No tripod.

The lens is light, fast, and unpretentious. It forces me to move. And that’s a good thing. I want to see – not just click.

🤔 The Beginning: Doubt and Discovery

Honestly? I was a bit disappointed at first. It was... well, quiet. Some reeds. A grey sky. No magical mist. No golden drama.I stood at the edge of the lake and thought: Why are you even here?

But then I let go. I stopped searching for the “big shot”.Instead, I started watching the light.How it crept across the water.How blades of grass suddenly glowed.How a swan glided silently into the frame.

📸 The Moments That Stayed

Image 1: Just before sunrise. Stillness over the lake. Nothing dramatic – but something real.

Image 2: The shoreline, touched by light. A frame that pulled me inward. I waited. Then it clicked.

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Image 3: The sun – exactly at the horizon. No HDR. No exaggeration. Just what it was. And that was enough.

Image 4: Submerged trees. I nearly lay in the mud for the angle – and felt like a kid again when the reflections showed up.

Image 5: The swan – my surprise guest. I had already moved on when I spotted him mirrored in the water.

Image 6: Tangled roots, rimmed by light. Red algae in the water. I uncovered it a little – yes, an intervention, but one that served the image.

Image 7: Final frame: Wheat in the foreground, industry beyond. Beauty and reality. I like that contrast.

💡 What I Learned

🔸 So much can live in so little.🔸 Seeing intentionally brings back the joy.🔸 Photography isn’t a place. It’s a state of mind.

I returned with a memory card full of quiet moments.Only a few will be shared.But every one of them mattered – because I was present when I took them.

✨ Your Turn: Try Your Own ZEN Walk

Give it a go:Take one hour.Choose a place no one on Instagram cares about.Bring one lens. That’s it.

You’ll feel frustrated at first.And then – maybe – something magical will happen.

Want to share your result? Use #photohikersZENOr drop me a message. I’d love to hear about your experience.

📌 Tech Specs

• Camera: Canon R6 Mark II

• Lens: Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

• Filter: CPL (K&F Magnetic System)

• Location: Peringsmaar near Bedburg, Germany

• Date: July 5, 2025, approx. 05:05–06:45 AM

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Warm regards,

Lars