Every moment passes, rolling on into the the past, as the present unfolds all around us. We don’t remember everything, how could we, our brain would be too full of a lifetimes memories to process much else. However some moments are so memorable, so unusual or beautiful or painful, that they remain etched clearly in our minds. Capturing the essence of such a moment is the art of photography, freezing life’s rolling film into perfect stills, which can be shared with others.
Capturing the feeling, the motion and energy of a moment in time allows us to go back and re-remember each time we look. We might see something we didn’t notice in the original moment, tiny details which bring new meaning or thoughts. Others can share their thoughts and feelings about something they may not have actually witnessed first hand. This to me is the purpose of photography.
These golden splashes are very obvious moments which pass away, falling back into the still water of the loch, leaving only fading ripples to show for their ever having exisited. This however is the perfect symbol for everything in our lives. Each thing we do makes a splash, sometimes a very small one, sometimes very large, but they all pass leaving only receding ripples.
These ripples we make roll through the lives of those around us, and we in turn feel the effects of others splashes. Its good to remember that the ripples pass, and that the waters of our lives can return to stillness. The sense of permanence is an illusion, and if we let it go a little into the splashes and waves, life can become fluid and soothing once more.
These splash shots were the less than perfect ones, where the dogs got in the way, leaping with wild abandon after the stones my husband was throwing. However I like the motion and energy which the dogs bring, and it was all part of the moment to be remembered. Sometimes the messy, less than perfect shots will tell us more about the truth of a moment than the perfectly edited and carefully cropped piece we might like to show others. These golden splashes lasted mere seconds, but their beauty was breathtaking, and will never be repeated in just those shapes and with that light at that angle. A great reminder to live in the present when we can, to be open to the unique beauty which each fresh moment brings together, for just a second!
breathofgreenair 
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Well done both of you – what timing! What synchronisation! I’m sure the dogs were shouting encouragement.
That first picture, with the ear of the dog jumping up, is so sweet. That ear has the same form of the golden brown ‘inner’ splash.
You have captured the beauty of the ripples of life. Ripples and stillness – you explain so well how they meet, touch and continue. Mahatma Gandhi often spoke about those ripples…how your want to change things in the world has to come from yourself. You – must be the change you want to see in the world. Your actions will spread like ripples…and touch others which will touch others…
Thank you for being there, Seonaid.
Clearly the images in this and the last post have struck a happy note with everyone. Thanks for bringing us the beauty!
Love these photos and having the dogs just enhances the moment of magic.
Delighted you approve of the dogs….they make magic all of their own! They are there beside me in all of my nature photos…whether you see them or not!
Love your take on this theme – canines bring the golden shots down to earth and that can’t be a bad thing – but the magic of colour and clarity remains
Thanks Laura, it was a great theme with so many ways to look at it….but in truth everything is passing away 🙂
The dogs are great for grounding us back into nature as you say, and without them we would never have been up in the hills anyway!
Love this! Are there prints available? Melissa Crandall http://www.melissacrandall.com http://www.melissacrandall.wordpress.com
I don’t offer prints at the moment, but I can look into it if you’re interested?
Thanks for the lovely comment Melissa.
Sure. Let’s see what you can find out.
magical…
Thanks Lisa, magical was the word on my lips all afternoon!
Amazing images – water sculpture, water spirit – no words that can really describe this meeting of light, water, and something else…
Light, water and the magic of life…..to me it was like fiery water full of the spirit of life itself. Delighted you enjoyed the images 🙂
Excellent post Seonaid – love the photos and the text bring them completely into focus (pun intended). Beautifully done.
Thanks Tina, you weave words and images together so beautifully yourself, so I appreciate this comment. Love the idea of words bringing images into focus…..because of course some photographers will say that a great photo needs no words as the image says it all! I just can’t help myself with words….they tumble out!
So many important messages here … one of your many specialties … ” … ripples pass … the waters of our lives … return to stillness. The sense of permanence is an illusion, and if we let it go a little into the splashes and waves, life can become fluid and soothing once more.” Those words have a particular resonance just now. Thanks Seonaid. D
Thanks David….I love the three sections you picked out and wove together….you made something beautiful there 🙂
I’m delighted that the words touch something in your own experience right now. Learning to flow a little can reduce the pain of resistance and friction….so important in the midst of change, which of course we tend to resist!
Of course include the dogs. They are part of the golden moment.
They were the whole reason we were up there in the hills in the first place Penny! If not for them we would have never seen the golden moment!
If there is imperfection, its perfect imperfection.
Perfect imperfection….I love that thought Gilly!
Stunning splashes!
Thanks Colline, I really have to give credit to my husband for the splashes…..I only captured them 🙂
You are truly a brilliant photographer, and your words perfectly frame the magical images. Kudos!
Wow, what a fabulous comment….I’m blushing!
The photos were a gift from Mother Nature….she really does create the most beautiful sets….we just need to keep our eyes open to notice! Everyday magic….it’s the best 🙂
🙂
Your words are wise and beautiful, as always, as is your photography. The shots also remind us to keep life real as if we cut too much from our memories and life style we become a façade of what is really us. Accepting who we are, the way we are is important too, as you know.
Yes Gwynn, I think we do lots of cropping in our lives and as you say it can move us away from the authentic and into a dream of what we wish life was. Coming into contact with the whole of ourselves and the whole of our lives can be uncomfortable at times, but also lots of fun 🙂
I agree and love how you explain the purpose of photography. Well put, Seonaid. The lighting, reflections, droplets, … amazing shots!
Thanks Amy, I’m delighted you like my take on the purpose of photography…..well one of its purposes anyway! The light and reflections were so beautiful and once we had added the movement of the splash it couldn’t get much better!
Fabulous images, particularly the second which has a glass-like quality – I thoroughly approve of photobombing dogs 🙂
Photobombing dogs always make me smile and of course knock away too much seriousness about the art of photography in nature…..the second shot makes me think of caramelised sugar….the shapes and light were so pretty!
This line, “A great reminder to live in the present when we can, to be open to the unique beauty which each fresh moment brings together, for just a second!” captures it all Seonaid. I especially love the shots with dogs in the foreground interconnecting nature with curiosity and play. Beautifully written piece….
The dogs certainly bring curiosity and play, and that’s one of the great pleasures of walking with them….they lead you into all sorts of adventures. I would never have noticed the perfect golden reflections had my husband not thrown a small pebble for the dogs to chase…..and from there the shots evolved!
Great! There’s a feeling of the time taken to throw each stone… Basho’s Frog Haiku:
The old pond,
A frog jumps in:
Plop!
What a lovely comment, and I know that haiku well….it always makes me smile 🙂
My husbands awareness was caught up in the throwing and placing of each stone…..we had to co-ordinate to make sure I was focusing on the right part of the water!
These are stunning shots, pups or no pups. 🙂
Thanks Judy….and of course we probably wouldn’t have been up on the hills if it weren’t for the dogs needing walked!
Exquisite! !..The motion of magic…and you caught it!
The motion of magic is the perfect comment for these photos, thank you…..catching it was an exercise in patience!
These shots, even the less than perfect shots, are perfect. Nothing messy about them. Things are usually pretty more perfect than we know.
I think that’s very true Bruce, it always makes me smile when the very thing which I love looks like a flaw to someone else 🙂
Perfection is there waiting for us to notice!
Great pictures! Beautiful words. Thank you.
My pleasure, thanks for leaving such a lovely comment 🙂
Wow! Wow! Wow!
Thanks Rachael…they were proper wow moments!
Wow! Amazing capture, really lovely. Has a look of spun glass about it. 🙂
It does doesn’t it……liquid toffee….the textures and shapes are wonderful and of course thats the stuff we don’t always see in the moment!
Less than perfect? Love the dogs in the shots… especially the first one…
Me too Sue, but a few people who shall remain nameless have said that the dogs spoil these shots!!
Never!
Lovely shots =)
Thank you, the light was just so beautiful….magical moments 🙂