Perception

As my previous post mentions, I found gold recently in a flooded pasture. Not literally, but photographically. What looks particularly boggy, soggy and ugly in the broad daylight surely can take on magical attributes in the evening light. This is part of the idea of perception. Both photographically and literally.
Photographically, or as the photographer, not only is it important to see things as they are currently, but also to visualize them how they will be. For instance, as mentioned in previous post, when we crossed this path earlier taking Emma home, it was not particularly pretty. The only thing really that struck me was how much water there was and how close to the road it was. Then my mind began processing how it might look. When the sun slid down and the colors of the sky turned, would it be beautiful or just average? Maybe dull. But something told me it wouldn't be.
You can often tell by looking at the late afternoon clouds, or lack thereof, if it will be worth a look in the evening. If there are the high sweeping little tufts of clouds here and there, it's possibly going to be a nice evening to shoot.
This photo, however, I took on the opposite side of the road. No sun was grazing it and I cannot speculate why it turned this color, possibly the pasture land beneath, but even though it is a stark contrast to the ones taken 40 feet away, I find this one particularly lovely. I like it's simplicity and serenity.
No manipulation was done to achieve that color. I did my standard edits and teased it out a bit but it was there all along waiting to be found.
Such is life as well. You can survey your situation and see it as it is in the pain or anger or pleasure or fill in the blank emotion of the moment or you can try to see past that moment to the future and embrace what that will be like. It's all a matter of perception and the ability to rise above the moment, realize that all things pass in their own time, including this moment where you are feeling so alone, sad, bereaved, angry, conflicted, etc. In time, the light will change and shine in a different way illuminating everything and making that moment that was so horrible when you couldn't find your way into a distant memory. Your heart may still feel those pangs of sadness or glints of anger, but you will, if you seek the different light, make it past your anger or sorrow and into your serenity.
We only get one chance sometimes at the perfect shot, but fortunately, life gives us many chances to find our shot, our chance, our moment.
Embrace your life. It's the only one you'll get.