almost missed them

Image captured tripod-mounted 8/23/10, 7:49pm • Canon 5D, Canon EF28-200 f/3.5-5.6 USM • 50mm, f/8.0, 1/5, ISO 800 • minor adjustments made in Adobe Lightroom

I joined the Photo Kenosha Group in August! I'm pretty excited about it. It will be a great opportunity for me to meet lots of new people and learn quite a bit more about photography. I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead that will push my skills.

Before the last meeting, I was out shooting my photo assignment of the Abe statue in downtown Kenosha. As soon as I had finished up, I was on a beeline back to my Jeep and happened to turn my head to the left. I was stunned—and I had almost missed it! To my left was a huge bed of Black-Eyed Susans being bathed in the most beautiful, warm light from the setting sun.

Even after noticing them though, I almost kept walking. Convincing myself otherwise, I turned around and set up my tripod to capture a few images of these flowers before I continued home. There was no breeze at all, making for a peaceful, balmy evening and perfect conditions for getting a sharp photo amidst the low light.

Sometimes we can be so focused on the task at hand that we almost miss the beauty around us. I'm glad I noticed this bed of Black-Eyed Susans on my way home and actually took the time to stop.