The Right Light

There were mornings where DW and I would sit in our backyard over breakfast. If it wasn’t too hot or too humid, and obviously if it wasn’t raining, we’d sit under our gazebo and enjoy pancakes—grilled on our barbecue with bacon—fresh fruit, and coffee.

We’d keep our cameras with us to photograph any birds who visited our feeder, though they tend to be shy when we’re sitting a dozen or so feet away.

It isn’t the best spot for photographing birds. First, the feeder is sheltered by large branches that hide the sun. Our cameras, with their zoom lenses, work best in brighter conditions. And because the birds are skittish from our presence, they grab their seeds and dart up into the leaves.

There’s a good amount of shade in our backyard, in the morning, but the sun does poke through in some areas. And as we dined on pancakes, bacon, and fruit, sipping coffee, I saw sun fall in a small band on some day lilies that had only just started opening.

Behind these flowers was our old cedar fence, cast in dark shadow. To my eyes, the contrast of light and darkness was stark.

I picked up my camera and trained it away from the bird feeder.

It was my best shot of that morning. Sometimes, we take our backyard for granted. We don’t take the time to appreciate this under-utilized space.

Except, now, at breakfast.

Happy Friday!