Notes to Self. On the Edge of Speed

 

One water skier. One turn. And Pineview reservoir was transformed into silver light and motion.

I was recently asked , “Did you suddenly jumped into sports photography?”

Strangely, I had never thought of these photographs that way.  I photographed the water skier the same way I photograph birds in flight — following movement, rhythm, and light.

To me, a skier gliding across the reservoir looked surprisingly similar to a big black bird skimming over water.

***

Birds, birds, always birds...  Sometimes I am seized by the fear that one day I may no longer be able to photograph them. 

I think often of a photographer from New York who once wrote in his blog that ever since his surgery, he lives with the thought that a day may come when he will no longer wander the streets of the Big Apple with a camera in hand, capturing its restless life.

Perhaps every photographer carries this fear somewhere inside — the fear of losing not just the ability to photograph, but the freedom to keep searching, observing, and being moved by the world.

Notes from a Field. Unexpected Colony, Bear River MBR

As I followed a temporary route along the Bear River MBR, I found myself on D-line that led me to an unexpected marvel: an entire island teeming with many Double-crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons, and California gulls. It was quit a revelation to realize how little I knew about the scale of life right here on the Bear river.  

My initial reaction was a selfish disappointment being so far from the island, but this wide, watery moat is precisely what makes the sanctuary safe for all these birds. Next time, I will bring binoculars with me.

Notes to Self. Where the American Avocets Have Settled

 

The new temporary auto tour on Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge turned out to be not so bad after all—though I still need to get to know it better.

It’s encouraging to see some birds settling into this new territory, especially the American Avocets. The pelicans will likely never visit—but who knows? Perhaps, out of curiosity, they might stop by.

Generally, life is good.

Small Worlds IV. Lilly of the Valley

Almost hidden moment.

Drawn to how this single Lily of the Valley leans into the leaf, as if seeking shelter in its own small world.

Minimalistic version.