​Tuesday, 8:14 AM - On occasion, there are magical moments in life: a beautiful sunset; a comforting moment; a relaxing cup of tea; a reunion with an old friend. They don’t happen all the time, but that’s what makes them magical.

Early one morning I was at the animal shelter to shoot some dog adoption photos. A golden sunrise was hitting the ripples on the water of the retention pond out back. The warm orange glow of the sun reflected off the deep blue water in a harmony of natural, complementary colors. And almost as if beckoned, a family of Canada Geese gracefully cut across the water within the scene. Everything blazed orange in the rising rays of the sun. I’ve walked past this same scene many times. But on this occasion, it was a “magical moment” and I just happened to be there.
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Often, these magical moments may seem spontaneous or appear of their own accord. But can we as photographers “help create” these magical moments? We sure can! We can increase our chances of capturing a magical moment by being conscious of time and location. Be there for the “golden hour”. Sunrise and sunset times can be found easily on our smart phones. A compass on the same phone can even let us know the direction of the sun as it hits the horizon. If you walk the same area or park often, don’t let it become common and unnoticed. Think how a particular patch of woods, or pond, or trail would look under different light or conditions.  Magical moments are magical, but we can have a hand in bringing the to fruition! 

Friday, 4:41 PM -  at the end of a hectic Friday, finally closing the loose ends on an impounded Paso Fino and an uproar over a pitbull attack, I stepped out behind the shelter into the bright blue, fifty-two-degree afternoon. It was a tad breezy, but much more quiet and peaceful than the office.
 
Out on the water, more Hooded Mergansers had arrived. There were now two males with a harem of eight females. One female was off toward the back side sitting in pond weeds and letting out a croak in almost timed intervals. The other females floated in a group, while the two feisty males paraded themselves in, around and through the ladies. One male was particularly more flamboyant than the other. He was bobbing his head, crest fully erected; spinning in circles; then paddling swiftly off in a straight line. Although they were a bit too far for my lens to reach, it was still an entertaining affair. A female Cardinal seemed to enjoy watching me as much as I did watching the Mergansers.
 
Twenty minutes later while heading off toward home, just around the corner on Pannell Road, two Turkey Vultures were enjoying a feast in the grass. As I slowed the truck, one took flight. While the other debated about fleeing or staying near his food, I was able to get a few shots. With the truck still gently rolling, and another car approaching from the rear, the image wasn’t too sharp.
 
Leaving the camera in full manual mode makes it harder to get these impromptu wildlife shots. Perhaps the more I practice, the better I’ll become. Nevertheless, when I got home, I saved two user settings that will allow me to grab the camera and begin firing with a few auto settings to capture the moment. If the critter sits still long enough, I can then switch to manual and begin my fumbling around with buttons and dials. But most likely, until I become proficient, the camera will make better decisions on the fly than I.
 
Walton County, Georgia

​Sunday, 12:09 PM - Every Sunday morning for the last few months during, a feisty little Tufted Titmouse flies up to the window during the preaching and repeatedly attacks his reflection. He believes the image to be a rival interloper invading his territory. Because the bird doesn’t like what he sees, he decides to fight the reflection. 

​While I watched this aggravated avian, my pastor continued to preach from the book of James. In the letter, James describes the Word of God as a mirror that reflects what manner of men we are. We have our own self-image, but it is often very different than how others perceive us. And certainly, our image of ourselves is always quite different than how God sees us. But the Bible has a way of revealing who we really are; a true reflection, as in a mirror.

Often, as the mirrors image comes into clear focus, we don’t like the image that we see, and like the Titmouse, we fight against that reflection.

​When we see our true reflection in the mirror of the Word of God, let us not fight against it as the church Titmouse. Let us not walk away and “forget what manner of men we are.” But let us be doers of the Word, and as Today’s English Version translates, let us “submit to God and accept the Word that He plants in our hearts” (James 1:21 TEV). Another lesson learned if we will listen to what creation speaks! 

​Wednesday, 8:15 AM - How do you get a wiggly puppy to sit still for a photo shoot? Throw him in the car!!!! “Zeus” was brought into Walton County Animal Control in January 2017. He belonged to the man’s son, but when the son and his girlfriend split up, “Zeus” got bounced around and had nowhere to go.
 
“Zeus” didn’t like being on the tether where I normally take the dog shots. He pulled and thrashed and whined and lunged… all because he wanted to be playing with me! He paused a couple of times for a few shots, but I needed another strategy. So I put him up in the cab of my truck and began firing away. Just to try something different, I used the 40 mm prime macro lens I normally use for the cat photography.
 
I love the shot of him looking in the rearview mirror. This was a split second shot and unfortunatlely had a little blur from movement and camera shake.  But it looks good enough for web viewing and the blur can only be seen at full size viewing. I used the “lomo camera” effect in Photoshop to hide some of the flaws and give it some artistic flare.