As I’ve written on many previous occasions, one of the things I love
about “still” photography, is that everything you see is but a mere
moment in time. One second, 1/30th sec, ½,000th sec. Even a time
exposure of five minutes is really just compounded moments, piled on
top of each other.

Those moments are frozen forever in time.

Action shots are violent movement suspended. A flower in a forest is
an artful record of the brief “moment”, when the light was perfect.

I truly believe that our individual time here on this earth is not
really 90 years, or 40 years, or 1 day, it’s a compilation of moments
all stacked together.

Eternity, is really just a series of moments.

For much of my life, I have attempted to realize those moments when
they happen. I have succeeded, but I have failed as well. The only
thing in life I truly hate, is when I let a moment slip by, and
realize it after the fact.

Even moments, or at least quality moments, are limited by time and by
happenstance.

As photographers I implore,  don’t miss the moment when it’s here.

If all still photos are but mere moments, then Barbara Eddy of Gerlach
Photography, should receive our thanks for recognizing the moment
below.

This is a Leopard in Kenya, Africa.

Flowers composed and photographed, are no less a moment than a wild
animal. Even if this Ellen Anon photo is a “designed” image, it is
still a brief moment of her artistic, compositional choices.

My favorites among my own wildlife action images, are virtually never
the same as those selected by others.

I have more spectacular wildlife action images than this picture of
Mr. Osprey returning home to Mrs. Osprey. This picture has never
gotten much acclaim from others, but it is in fact my favorite
wildlife action shot of all time from among my own images. It says
much more than most action pictures say.

I was fortunate to be able to use a somewhat moderate shutter speed
(1/640th ) due to the fact the flying bird was almost in hover mode.
That allowed just enough depth of field (7.1) to cover both birds in
focus. That was important with this particular image.

These two birds are in fact, having a moment. While we cannot see the
eyes of the male, look at the eyes of the female. I am betting that
the eyes of the male are meeting with hers. Despite that, the fact
that we cannot see his face adds to the image rather than subtracts.
There is some mystery in that moment.

Moments can in fact, be mysterious.

Flight shots, even when they are fairly pedestrian as is this one of a
Forster’s Tern, make obvious the idea of a moment. A mere moment. This
tern was flying reasonably fast at this moment, but a shutter speed of
1/1000 sec. helped to further suspend that moment. It actually holds
it for eternity.

Of course, some birds put on quite the show. This male Red-winged
Blackbird was doing its traditional spring show, and it is
photographers capturing that moment, that turns it
into a “happening”, that millions of people can share.

Sometimes with animals, including little critters, the action is not
as important as the results of that action.

This bee on a sunflower is covered with pollen as a result of a series
of moments.

Light is a fleeting thing. It changes constantly. Every continuous
second of change, is you guessed it, a new moment.

These moments can only be shared via photos, but we have to be there to see
them when they occur.

In photography, and in life, don’t let the moment pass you by.

God Bless,

Wayne