Q-101: The Magic Moment

Magic Moment

It's the moment you wait for all day.

First thing in the morning you drag yourself from your bed and get ready for work. You scoop litter boxes (ew), get dressed (Loving the jeans and tshirt uniform of the new job), feed the dog (kibbies anyone?), take the dog out (running late now of course...), and gather up your belongings to head into work.

And now, the eternal question... do I lug the fancy camera to the car, and into the car, and into the office, and back to the car, and back into the house... just. in. case?

And you decide... ok- if I DON'T take it, I'll miss a perfect shot and be really pissed off that I didn't have it with me.

But on the other hand, you haven't bought that perfect carry case yet, and the one you have is bulky and awkward and every time you DO bring the camera you never see a good shot. And what are you going to do? Take a detour after a long day of work to FIND a shot? Pshhh.. NO!

And then you remember-- you want to be a photographer. And that means that you have be do 2 things: 1-be ready and prepared to take a shot.... and 2-take a shot!

So you grab the bag, readjust the lunchbag-purse-camerabag-key-phone grip and head to the car. Except it's freezing, so you turn around and add a sweater to the pile (it would take too long to put everything down and put it on... you can put it on at the office).

You never look for shots on the way to work... too much traffic, too unpredictable, and you're already late-- every. day.

But you VOW that on the way home your eyes will be open, lids peeled for that elusive perfect shot.

The day goes slowly... not much to do for once and you think 1000 times... I should at least take the camera out and play with manual, photograph some office supplies learn how to work it better. But you never do.

And when 5pm rolls around you gather up and head to the car. Lock your purse in the car and go back to your desk because you left the camera bag underneath it. Lock the Camera in the car and go back to your desk again because you left the battery charging on your surge protector.

By 5:15 you've joined the melee, the rush n crush of traffic and you don't remember until you're halfway home that you were supposed to be finding a shot, one shot, ANY shot to take today... it was your whole goal!

You're 20 minutes from home when it happens-- The Magic Moment. You've been stopped at the light for 2 minutes when you look out the window and see it-- birds on a wire. Perfectly perched, beak to you- tail to you- beak to you- tail to you, a perfect back and front pattern. You glance at the light-- the longest on your commute. Shifting from D to P you take your foot from the break, and reach (why did you pitch your camera bag so far from the driver's seat!?). You snag the bag, shift your purse and the box of freebies from ancient returns so there is room for it on the passenger seat. You fumble the zipper but get it open and roll down the driver's side window (no dirty streaks on this picture!!) You pull the lens cap off with one hand and pitch it into the cup-holder...

Your left hand moves to the on-switch as your right hand secures your grip on the sleek black body-- your newly remembered best friend...

You start to move into shooting position (modified, driving style) and movement catches your eye--

And as you pull into the driveway at home you SWEAR that tomorrow-- you'll leave the damn bag unzipped and on the passenger seat so you don't waste the whole stop-light setting up to miss another perfect shot.