The Object or The Light

 The past couple of months I've taken somewhat of a break from photography only venturing out on short walk arounds taking simple snapshots of this or that. Basically photographing objects without thinking too much about what or how I approached the moment. Yesterday I took an hour or two and made a simple walk around outback eventually heading over to a pond where I knew dragonflies would most likely be swarming...and they were. Dragonflies are interesting subjects and can be difficult to photograph. They do have one tendency; they tend to return to the same resting spot time after time often providing you with good opportunities to capture their unique qualities. The trick is to find them in good light for that is when an ordinary object like a dragonfly can become an extraordinary subject. It's all about the light.

I've preached this concept for many years; It is less about the object and more about the light when it comes to capturing a good photograph. Most times when I am out and about, the light is what I seek first, and when I find it, I begin to look for a subject that will be enhanced because of the light. Most times it is the subtle situations that generate the boldest of opportunities. And, sometimes those bold opportunities only last for a fleeting few seconds before they dry up.

Light can be there and gone before you even get your camera focused. Training your eye to identify extraordinary light comes with practice and trial and error. I over the years have missed more shots than i have ever captured simply because I was too slow to react. The fleeting nature of quality light often produces a lot of frustrations in a nature photographer. Too many times I second guess myself right out of an opportunity. However, on those rare occasions when I guess right, seeing the moment, framing it, and capturing it, well...you just know it when it happens. 

The object does possess a certain importance of course; you have to have something to photograph. But it is light that truly turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Even a simple dragonfly can capture light in extraordinary ways. Having the patience to find it sometimes is what causes the hit or miss opportunity.

Countdown - (Now Available on Amazon!)

 Writing a novel is something I thought about doing for many years but never followed through because of my lack of writing skills to pull it off. Last year (2024) I revisited that idea and a storyline I had played around with, to finally complete that first attempt at creating a full blown novel. It's title, Running The Edge, and it reflected the premise of a story based on the operations of an elite U.S. Coast Guard Lifeboat Search and Rescue unit...something in which I have some personal experience. 

I enjoyed creating that book so much, in more recent times I decided to write a sequel to it called 'Countdown'. It is a continuation of the same premise of the first book using the same characters and setting. Countdown is a more involved story with twists and turns where the main characters are thrown into dangerous situations made more demanding and serious by a time limit factor. It explores the personal relationships between the characters and how they overcome not only their personal haunting demons, but external events that threatens to destroy everything and everyone they love. It is a story about good vs evil and one that will send the reader to the edge of their seat.

A third book in the series may be in the works in the near future, but for now, I'll just leave you with enjoying this newest of novels called Countdown...available May 26, 2025 on Amazon in paperback and ebook formats.

Please enjoy this short Promo Video...

A True Adventure - Book Revue

I not only enjoy writing and have indeed written a great deal on various subjects, mostly about personal outdoor adventures and photography. (I have also written and published a novel, my first, last year and I am currently working on my second one.) This blog contains well over 500 articles about those subjects. Not only do I enjoy writing, I also enjoy reading. 

As a child I learned the value of reading. My favorite kind of books back then were true adventure stories. They still are today and I have read and re-read a number of good ones. One of my favorites is the true story of Kon Tiki. 

Going forward as part of this blog, I will from time to time post a book revue about an adventure book I have read. In this post we'll explore this amazing adventure and how it helped to nurture me as a young boy to grow into dreaming of grand adventures.

The Story

Kon Tiki is the true story written by Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl. Thor developed a theory about how the Polynesian islands became inhabited basing his theory on observations and deductions on the similarity of cultures found in South America to those found across Polynesia. He believed those similarities were so strong, he thought it was possible for peoples from South America to have navigated westward across the Pacific on rafts made from balsa wood logs.

Balsa wood grew along the coast in the highlands of what is now Peru and the peoples there learned to construct rafts using the logs to sail along the coast. Even some of the legends and stories passed down from generations across Polynesia referred to their ancient ancestors as having come from where the sun rises on large rafts.

To prove his theory, he and a select team of five other men built a raft using the same techniques the ancient ones used and took off on journey to sail across the Pacific. They encountered hardships and amazing experiences along the way. About 100 days after embarking, they ran aground on a small uninhabited  island, one that was part of a chain of islands that were inhabited.

The journey did not prove that Polynesia was indeed populated from people from South America. It only proved that is was possible.

The Impact

As a young boy I often dreamed of grand adventures and those dreams and the ideals surrounding the challenge of them, formed deep within my mindset. Opportunities to partake of such things never truly materialized, but the influence of having read this story certainly played a roll in my pursuing other kinds of adventures.

My joining the U.S. Coast Guard three years into my college career certainly was influenced by the idea of chasing an adventure...and it became the defining adventure of and the single most influential moment of my life, before or since. Hiking into the woodlands, camping, canoeing and canoe camping, hunting, fishing, and yes even photography all were products germinated from the seed of adventure this book planted within my young mind.

Recommendations

I know many good people who rarely read anything much beyond a shopping list. Many young folks today are almost all visually oriented relying on video and other visual mass media for their entertainment. Being visually fed has its limitations. Allowing your mind to absorb and generate it own visual references is by far a better way to explore life. This book is written at a level that young teens can become engrossed with the story. Certainly adults have the ability to do so if they take the time to read it.

This story took place in 1947, an era when ordinary men could part of an adventure such as this and live a fascinating true life story. The ability to do such things today is limited for so many reasons, but the ability to expand your own ability to dream of grand adventures is as full and exciting as ever. Kon Tiki can provide the reader with that sense of adventure they may never be able to live themselves, but it can also serve to motivate and propel some to achieve amazing things.