Simple Moments

I have been away traveling for most of the fall, with workshops at Vermejo Park Ranch in New Mexico, Yellowstone National Park for NANPA (North American Nature Photography Association), Patzcuaro, Mexico for Day of the Dead and in South Dakota to see my Dad before he passed away. I will try to get caught up on my posting soon.

In the meantime, I thought I would share an image from Yellowstone I took while helping lead an event for NANPA. We were in the Lamar Valley in the north of the park when we saw a herd of bison headed toward us. Better yet, they were headed for Slough Creek, and animals crossing water can make for a nice photo opportunity. I scrambled down the bank to water level and set up for them.

The herd made their way down to the creek a few paused briefly for a nice cold drink. It was really fun to watch and I finally managed to capture a bison cow, calf and bull together in a brief family moment.

For some reason, simple moments like this gives me great joy. I love that about photography – capturing a fleeting slice in time with a single click is beautiful and powerful. I was reminded about that last week as I put together a little slideshow of old photos of my Dad and our family to share with visitors at his wake.

I believe in the emotional power of photography, but I think that images can work in different ways. Some images work best when you see them and engage with them every day, but I don’t think that is always the case, at least for me. I don’t keep a lot of family photos in front of me. I prefer to see them, put them away, and let the image and moment embed itself in my memory. When I see the photo again, later, sometimes years later, it seems emotionally fresh and new to me again.

I do that with music, too, often avoiding my favorite albums for years so I can experience them somewhat anew. I am an odd dude, but what can I say. It works for me.