In the Right Place at the Right Time

Amethyst Deceiver, so called because it changes colour after a while and so makes identification difficult.

Amethyst Deceiver, so called because it changes colour after a while and so makes identification difficult.

 

Whether you are out with your camera, have that chance conversation with someone where you pick up the next great design project, or it is just that spur of the moment drink with good friends, it all comes down to one thing, you have to be in the right place at the right time.

I am out walking our dog pretty much every morning and, as I am sure it is for most dog owners, I tend to follow the same few tried and trusted routes that are local to me. Therefore, as beautiful as the countryside is where I live, I see the same views each day and as it was today, it can sometimes be pretty miserable. Even the dog was pleased to get back in the car. However, I am always amazed at how the light can dramatically change what on one day was grey, wet and pretty bleak into something quite magical on the next.

That brief moment where the sun breaks through, casting rays of light on the mist or shining a spotlight on a flower or some fungi, almost like an exhibit in a museum or gallery. Those few fleeting seconds where it all comes together, are truly magical and make all of those other, dreary mornings worthwhile. The two shots I have included in this blog were totally down to being in the right place for those few fleeting seconds where the sun lit up the subject. As you can see in the picture above, the sun has highlighted the lone tree and ferns on the hillside and is starting to light up the trees on the hillside behind. However, the area directly behind the tree, which is the focus point of this image, is still in shadow and so gives the tree really nice separation from the background. If the background was completely lit up, then the tree would have merged in and the picture would not have worked.

Similarly, in this picture of the toadstool, the sunlight provided the perfect spotlight for me to capture it but only lasted for a matter of seconds. I therefore had to be very quick in taking the photo otherwise I would have missed it. The sun, shining on the fallen leaves brings the yellows, oranges and browns to life so that they give the perfect contrast to the purple toadstool. It also highlights the toadstool perfectly against the shadowy background, giving the perfect separation that I needed.

So I suppose the simple moral of this very short blog is that if you want to succeed and achieve your goals, you’ve got to get out there and try. I seem to remember one of the advertising headlines from the UK National Lottery, “You’ve got to be in it to win it!”, even if a little irritating, how true that is!

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Patience paid off in the end... even if it was a 30 year wait!