Geese at the Beach

Have you ever been at the beach and seen Canada Geese?  Well, apparently that's a thing that happens here, but it did make for a great photo taking experience!  It was a beautiful day Friday and the beach was understandably crowded, I'm not really a fan of crowds so I found a little forgotten corner of the beach where the sand turns to rock and climbed up to get my camera set up.  This was my first real chance to use my mono pod!

Not long after I got there this little flock of Canada Geese swam up.  We got along!

This little seagull did not seem too pleased about the geese being there, they even ran him off a couple times, but he seems to have claimed this spot of beach for himself, and knew the geese wouldn't be staying for very long, just a stop on their migration.  They spent time cleaning themselves, eating, and swimming.  They knew I was there, they would look over at me every few minutes, but they never seemed to mind my presence.  It occurred to me that these birds are probably the largest wild animals I will see in the city.  Birds are fascinating, they have a freedom that we will never know, they can go anywhere, fly anywhere, and they are so incredibly beautiful while doing it.  I get to admire these animals , and maybe somehow imitate them.  I'm embarking on a new journey in life, maybe this is my chance to fly to freedom?  Since I have no idea how to be an entrepreneur so I've been reading books about it, they all talk about the freedom of working for yourself, despite the downsides of it, I want to be like these birds.  

I love the experience of being tucked away in a forgotten nook in the rocks, being the silent observer while life happens in front of me.  I get to capture quiet moments that happen when no one else is looking.  Photography is different from painting in that way.  Painting, is about creating an image from the world around you, communicating some idea or point.  Painting is deep in a different way, photos capture one moment in time, while painting is an expression of many moments rolled into one image.  I love what I do, in moments like these I am so happy with my decision to get an art degree, instead of choosing a more secure path.  Maybe at the very least, I will be able to grow old without the regret of never taking this chance.  

Well, back to the geese!  Something that is equally interesting and frustrating about photography, is that you can take a zillion pictures and think that a certain shot is "the shot" and then when you go back through the pictures, you find one you don't even remember taking, and inevitably, it's one of the best pictures in the roll.  For this outing, this is that picture:

I love the colors in the water, the fluidity of it.  On top of all of the beautiful, sinuous, undulating waves, is this one creature, just floating.  For whatever reason, I find this beautiful, peaceful, and wonderful.  There is something really special in capturing one singe moment.