Missed Moments - Or Not...

I don't like to admit this, but there have been far too many times that something has *caught my eye*... particularly when driving... and I think to myself - I should stop and see what I feel... or see... and then my brain kicks in and thinks: oh, it's not that interesting, or: I'll catch it on the way back, or: I'm going to be late getting ______ fill in the blank... where ever I'm heading. 

I've learned over time, to stop. Go on up the road, and turn around if need be. There will NEVER be another moment like this one. Pass it up - and it's gone for good. I will NOT let my lazy nature stop me from at least further exploring that instance. 

Here's a great example. Fortunately, I got more than I'd hoped for...

Over a period of several years, I actively searched out areas of foam on water. I really wanted to see, what I could come up with... patterns of white foamy bubbles on water. Not just any foam though, I wanted clean foam. Don't laugh. I didn't want little bits and pieces of sticks, or dirt, or oily pollution... I wanted pristine white foamy bubbles... swirling along, carried by the current in the water, and trapped by some outlying force. Like a beaver dam. Lo and behold - I found it literally in my back yard... well, so to speak. My "back yard" in Utah is the national forest in the Wasatch Mountains at about 8000'.  

A friend and I hiked out to the creek, and followed it up to one of the beaver dams..... and voile'... there it was.... beautiful foam swirling towards the edge of the beaver dam. I got out my camera, and looked through the viewfinder for just a few seconds... and realized the potential. Next I had to secure my camera/tripod leaning over the water, as I wanted to shoot straight down... then holding on to a tree, and my gear, and my cable release - I watched the foam dance across my viewfinder... minutes later.... there it was. Yin Yang. Half black, half white, swirls, patterns... and fortunately I'd nailed the focus and exposure. 

I went back the next day to try for more..... it had been a huge snow year (the winter of 2010/2011) and it was springtime... snow melting like crazy, and the runoff was high. Overnight the runoff broke through the beaver dam. Their home was gone, and along with it, my beautiful foam. Thank goodness, this was not a missed moment.