Exposure: 4.0 seconds at f 16, ISO 200.
The breaking of day, the silence between words, the light emanating from a real conversation, and kindness, truth, love and the apparent random hand of grace: I want to remain gobsmaked by all of it. Rendered speechless by wonder, I await the next unfolding.
Richard Wagamese: Embers
This image was from a week long trip I took back in October of 2003 to Smoky Mountains National Park. It was my first and only visit to the park. I had only owned my Nikon D100 (6 megapixel sensor) for less than a year. It was my first ever digital camera so I was still early in my digital photography formation, getting to know the camera and using Photoshop Elements. A slight break in the clouds on an overcast day offered a gold glow on the water of the Roaring Fork River that lasted just a few seconds before it was gone. It is still one of my favorite moments on that trip and ignited the desire to experience the next unfolding in nature. I find it interesting that I just happen to remember these images and that experience. So I went back into my archives to see what Lightroom enhancements could do today. I also wondered how would I approach this scene today? I also believe that photography has helped me see the world with new eyes and I can easily get gobsmaked1to be extremely surprised or shocked, almost to the point of being speechless, like being smacked in the mouth by something I see in the viewfinder.
5 Comments
Earl
That’s a wonderful picture, Monte. While all the technical background info is interesting for a photographer like me, the details neither add to nor take away from its appeal and beauty. If anything, it makes me chuckle and wonder why I’ve spent the money I have on pursuing and purchasing ever more capable camera gear. That the details of those moments are so long remembered is a testament to a connection on a deeper level. Take care, my friend!
Monte Stevens
I think it’s a wonderful photograph too. You would have to mention how many all of us have spent on upgrading our equipment so we can make better photographs. You reminded me of an article written by George Lepp who suggested that if you were given a thousand dollars to spend on your photography, the best investment would be a workshop for the photographer and not equipment. For me it is a gift that I can still remember moments of awe and wonder while taking a photograph. Maybe the best photos are the ones we didn’t take but are the moments stored in our memory. Gobsmacked! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!
Tom Dills
Before I read your words I immediately recognized where you had made this image. It’s a beautiful section of the park and I can see why it appealed to you then, and would surely appeal to you today (although not likely as quiet as it might have been in 2003!). The tools we have today allow us more creative potential, but ultimately can only improve the image, much less so the memory.
Monte Stevens
Yes, new gear cannot enhance the memories we bring home.
Alexander S. Kunz
What a moment! The light on the water is outrageously beautiful — and you had the presence to be there, in that moment, and the skill to make this photo. An excellent memory.