It is often easy to imagine the elements of an image coming together in harmony, but seldom is the convergence of subject, light, and situation easily attainable. With an artistic approach, you pre-visualize, position yourself for the best chance of capturing the image you want, and then hope for the best. Once in a while, all this preparation pays off. I was photographing bald eagles along the coastline with beautiful, warm front-light when I took a moment to check the position of the sun behind me. With significant haze in the air that evening, the sun was beginning to form a golden ball. Knowing it was unlikely an eagle would cross the sky in perfect juxtaposition to the sun, I optimistically repositioned my camera for silhouettes. I would follow each single bird on its majestic flight across the brilliant sky. With patience, persistence, and good fortune, I eventually exposed a short series of photographs of an eagle overlapping the sun. Photography, as an artistic medium, doesn’t always allow for the same creative license as other forms of art. Creative decisions must be made quickly, sometimes in only seconds, to realize your vision. In a very true sense, a photographic image may be the rarest art of all. A recorded moment in time will never occur exactly the same way again.

Price: $19.95