I often marvel about how, when we freeze time with a camera we are able to capture a single moment, a mere fraction of a second. In that moment, we are mining gems that would have otherwise remained concealed. Imagine if, on this day in April 2015, I had been slow on the shutter, or I had left even five minutes before. Maybe I hadn’t been out there at all.
Still now, five years later, this is one of my favorite memories from my time at Brick Pond. In my mind I remember the encounter, if enshrouded in the vagueness brought on by the years in between. But this one brief exchange is magnified by its timelessness through photography. How lucky I am to have this memory, solidified by this image.
I hope that you are all safe and able to connect with your distant loved ones through telephone, social media or other means. If we keep doing the right thing, soon enough we will be back together and creating new and even more poignant moments. Don’t forget to freeze a few with your camera, to relive a week, month and even five years from now. Stay safe!
In this frame, a drake wood duck grooms his mate as a show of affection and to enhance the pair bond during breeding season. Learn more about this shot and my early experiences photographing wood ducks in my article, Photographing Wood Ducks in the Wild