Serenity of Understanding

Texas

The thing about dawn is that it can explode on us suddenly, in a flash or flurry of activity, or slowly encroach upon our consciousness, little by little, until we begin to wonder why we hadn’t noticed the rising sun before. If we understand our environment, then we can begin to anticipate what "may" happen.

It was the anticipation of a slow arrival of dawn that drew me to this scene. The calm morning would lend a sense of simplicity through the calm and gentle lapping of the water along the shoreline and the rising sun as it rose behind the islands (Moku Nui and Moku Iki).

What was it that I needed to express in the scene before me? The answer that came to me was the calmness and the quiet of the coming day. Once I understood what I wanted, then what I needed to do was to capture the scene on film in a way that reflected that understanding.

The image was not a result of a just showing up and taking a photo, but came about as a result of an understanding of how the ocean interacted with land at different times of day and seasons.

It was that understanding that I was able to used on other occasions to express the sense of calmness and serenity that I was feeling, and actively looking for.

Waimea Bay Sunset, Oahu, Hawaii. Toyo 45AII, Schneider Super Symmar XL  110mm f4.5, Fuji Velvia 50

For this image at Waimea Bay, there were people on both sides of me, watching the setting sun as I was. The key in this instance was knowing the wave action would be gentle (due to the time of year - Waimea Bay is one of the premier surfing locations on the island of Oahu) and seeking a foreground element to accentuate the incoming gentle wave.

It is this idea of developing a relationship to the subject that seems to be lacking in this day of rampant photographer self-promotion with the inherent need to capture as many "iconic"" images as possible.

When I look to the work of those photographers who’ve been an influence on me, the common thread among them all is an understanding, familiarization and fascination of a subject that they were personally attached to. It is those photographers and their images that I remember.

Looking back, I realize how much my relationship to my subject has been influenced by my life experiences. I cannot look upon my experiences and my photography as distinct and separate things; they are interconnected.