This Too Shall Pass

This is one of a series of four images that I took about a month ago.  As you can see it was an overcast and dreary day with rain falling steadily enough to be an annoyance. I enjoy photographing wildlife under poor conditions because I am often rewarded with some glimpes into their lives that are not frequently photographed.  Just as us, the weather and our environment changes the way we go about our day both mentally and physically.  Getting an unusual shot is worth my inconvenience and builds my understanding of how these creatures endure unpleasant days.

The four photos I selected for printing are of  two Pied Grebes which happened to be at the wetlands that afternoon. Pied Grebes are small birds with a weight of perhaps 10-12 oz. and a wingspan of 20 inches.  They are rather unremarkable in their appearance and actually blended with the grayness of the afternoon.  I photographed them because I liked the look of the rain on their feathers and the raindrops falling about them.  Their small body size compared to the larger gray body of water surrounding them projected a feeling of resignation and grit.  When I photograph animals, it is hard for me not to assign them human emotions and motives.  Doing so guides me in choosing how I want to photograph them.  To me, they were experiencing a hint of loneliness while at the same time being undergirded with a healthy dose of stoicism.  Their actions seemed to tell this damp and grumpy old photogapher that "this too shall pass".