One afternoon late in the day I was driving through Sebastopol on highway 12. The sun was low on the horizon, well into the golden hour, when I glanced to my left. I couldn’t have seen it for more than a fraction of a second, but it was unmistakable and it has been etched in my memory ever since. White blossoms set back in the dark of a thicket, framed by the trees and illuminated by the setting sun. Only the blossoms were lit, everything else was dark and undiscernable. I hesitated, should I stop, run back and see if I could get a shot of it? I had my camera, but the traffic, and where to pull off? In the time it took me to debate it I was well down the road and I let opportunity slip away. I have returned on subsequent occasions always looking to see if that scene would reappear. I am sure it has, but never again in my presence.
Every time I think of those illuminated blossoms I remind myself, “If you see it, stop and shoot it”, even if I am a mile down the road: turn around and go back and get the shot. If I don’t . . .well it’s been a good six years since that day and I am still thinking about that missed opportunity, wishing I captured it so I could share it.
An Opportunity Realized
In 2008 it was a different story. I was on a family vacation in the Hoh Rain Forrest on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. It was a misty, rainy morning when we rounded a turn in the road and there it was, just plopped right into our laps, so to speak: this amazing scene. “Stop the car! Stop the car!!” I jumped out and stood in the middle of the road and took this shot. I am so glad there was no debate in my head, it was a clear and decisive I HAD to take the shot and I did. Lesson learned.
Though this image is among the first of the landscape images I have taken it remains one of my favorites. I will never forget taking it to Longs to have it blown up to a larger size. When I came back to pick it up, the lady who worked there retrieved it for me and holding it in her hands started exclaiming, “Oh my God, Oh my God!” She liked it!! Whooppee! What a gratifying and encouraging experience that was. It played a big part to help me along the path to photography. So glad we stopped!
An Opportunity Realized
In 2008 it was a different story. I was on a family vacation in the Hoh Rain Forrest on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. It was a misty, rainy morning when we rounded a turn in the road and there it was, just plopped right into our laps, so to speak: this amazing scene. “Stop the car! Stop the car!!” I jumped out and stood in the middle of the road and took this shot. I am so glad there was no debate in my head, it was a clear and decisive I HAD to take the shot and I did. Lesson learned.
Though this image is among the first of the landscape images I have taken it remains one of my favorites. I will never forget taking it to Longs to have it blown up to a larger size. When I came back to pick it up, the lady who worked there retrieved it for me and holding it in her hands started exclaiming, “Oh my God, Oh my God!” She liked it!! Whooppee! What a gratifying and encouraging experience that was. It played a big part to help me along the path to photography. So glad we stopped!
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