I spent Sunday evening walking North Beach at Ft. Desoto park. The tide was low enough that I could walk all the way around the tip and back over the mud flats. The hazy sky in the West, filtering the late day sun, made for some beautiful light, especially looking back towards a very different sky in the east. I was hoping to photograph the Roseate Spoonbills. However, they were nowhere to be found. Perhaps it happened that way on purpose…a reminder to just relax and enjoy the place, with no goals or expectations.
Much of the time I spend behind the camera is with a specific purpose in mind. Whether I’m shooting for an editorial submission or a portrait session, how I work is dictated by the assignment or expected result. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s just a different approach to making photographs, with pressure to “produce”. It’s sometimes hard to break out of that mind-set. With the Spoonbills refusing to cooperate, I found myself just wandering and looking with a different set of eyes. Rather than collecting images, I just enjoyed the place and time.
The great thing about this location is it always presents great opportunities for making photographs. Once I let go of any specific ideas of what and how I would shoot, it seemed the opportunities were endless. Before making the photograph above, I waited for the sun to sink behind some thicker clouds for more diffused light. While I was waiting, I turned around, facing east, and made this photograph of the dunes and Sea Oats. I loved the golden color of the vegetation against the blue sky, topped off by the drama of the clouds.
Two very different photographs made from locations no further than 10 yards apart. I feel so lucky to live in a place where I can decide, on a whim, to go to a fabulous beach, and have fun with my camera.
By the way, just as the sun dropped low and the light dimmed, the Spoonbills showed up…as if on cue. They do that to me all the time!
by LME
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