Make Waves!

Of all the photos that I have taken on and above the waters at the Nygren Wetlands, this photo would likely be one of the least memorable.  Just this week, I have taken beautiful images of water reflections at sunset, blue herons hunting gracefully over the still waters, I even took a photo of an American Bittern that I was lucky enough to catch out in the open near the water's edge.  In a photo contest, any of these images would have been rated more highly than the one I chose to discuss today.    
 
This image was chosen because I have discovered that photography generally consists of images that are engaging/exciting, novel, or visually stimulating for both the viewer and photographer. When creating those kinds of images, the photographer chooses to be the voice of the image by influencing its message in the way that it is captured and processed.  Then there are the times when the image whispers a personal message and the photographer needs to just observe and ponder.  For me, this is such an image.  
 
The photo captures a brief moment when a small frog decided to cross the water's placid surface leaving no trace of his being there but for that brief moment -- a moment I, alone, was priviledged to witness.  Some gentle ripples and a few bubbles on the water were the only fleeting evidence of his being there, and he isn't even visible within the scene which he created. At a future time, perhaps this small frog may rest on a colorful lilly pad to pose for another photographer who will give him his thirty seconds of fame.

Perhaps, I am thinking of this because it is close to the time of year when my father passed away, or perhaps, by some ironic circumstance, these older eyes come to see life with greater acuity than could be seen with younger eyes.  Metaphorically speaking, I believe we each gravitate to our own place in the pond where we come to realize that this is the very place we were meant to be after all these years.  Dad used to say that "some people cross our lives leaving a path for us to follow, while others simply leave the mark of a heel."  Everybody leaves a behind a legacy-- ripples .

In a generation of selfies, it's a gift to find people who will  encourage and shine a light helping others find their way.  Through photography, I have met a lot of wonderful people.  I have also experienced nature in ways which sustain my belief in miracles, and if you listen very carefully, you may even hear a message from a frog.