Unlikely Places

Friday, September 10, 2004

This Friday evening, like several this past week, was ending on a glorious note. For almost two weeks now we have had the summer that neglected us during July and August. And not only have we had summer, we have also had some of that post cold front clear blue skies as well.

I looked at the clock and decided that it was time to head out to try and get some images, but I was also worried that I just might be cutting it a bit too close.

"Where ya headed."

"The late sunlight is just about perfect, I want to head on out to try and get some shots of the Egrets."

"The Egrets? Where are you going to get shots of Egrets?

"Over by Costco, but I've got to run because the light is just about running out. In fact, if I'm late, I'll just end up running into the store and grabbing a couple of items."

And out the door I went.

This trip to the retention pond/wetland was one of those things that I was finally getting around to. I've driven by the marsh probably 50 times in the past 4 or 5 years that it has been there, or at least as long as there has been a road running behind the shopping centers.

Each and every time I've driven by, with the exception of winter of course, there have been egrets there. I had even stopped by about 3 weeks before, but I only had my "car camera" with me and all I got were a few disappointing shots.

This time I pulled out the big gun.

By the time I arrived, the last rays of golden light were falling on the pond.

I quickly attached the camera to the tripod and walked along the bushes that line the road.

I only had time for a few shots and when I examined them, they were not quite what I would consider "best quality" from a sharpness point of view, but I am happy with one image in particular.

I include it here for several reasons, one of which is that it really does illustrate the effect of the "golden hour" of light, in this case the evening light.

And secondly, because of a note that was recently left on my guestbook.

The noter said: "I really love looking at your photos. Thanks for posting so many beautiful examples of what a person can see if you just know how and where to look."

In this case, the not quite urban meets the suburban wetland and generates a great opportunity for those who will stop and look.

Emerson said, "Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not."

Carry it with you, and keep your eyes open, because it may be right in front of you, over there, where you least expect it, back behind the grocery store, in front of the movie theater and just past Costco.