I shot this image on Saturday. Before shooting it, I was haplessly trying to photograph my dogs, an impossible task since they are never still. They are so excited to go to this beach that my presence is an afterthought. I saw this gull flying into the scene and turned until it was in the third and snapped. Lo and behold this image of a scene I have shot hundreds of times was latched onto on Flickr and in a day had over 7,500 views and recognition on the featured “Explore” page, +6,000 “likes” page and other recognition pages. I posted some pinhole images and despite the exposure from this one, there are only one or two people showing interest in them. For my own taste, I think I have taken better images. But this one was appreciated by one person who decided to give it a push, and off it went.
The image evokes the simplicity I am striving for most of the time. It shows what the photography community finds appealing. Perhaps I should take this as a lesson that no matter the subject, I should strive to capture it well. I can’t say this image was pondered over before it was taken. It was a split second thing. Its appeal is a function of the instinct that has been developed from taking thousands of images over the last 10 years. That is the true takeaway for me. Instinct and the rewards it brings.
I wish I had taken this image with my Pentax 67 and a roll of Kodak Ektar. Now that would be a treat if I got lucky and hit the mark.