This week, in response to Tina’s challenge to feature “moments that take your breath away,” I’ve selected five photos taken over the past five years on the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington State, USA. Each one was a gift from nature, and taught me something about capturing breathtaking shots.

It was a dreary cold day when Jello and I took a long walk through the park to North Head Lighthouse. I snapped several photos of the structure and the environs before walking up the path away from the lighthouse. When I turned around, the sight stopped me in my tracks. In this moment a personal photo mantra emerged – “Always look back!”

Sunsets are addictive! Intense gorgeous light filtered through earths atmosphere as night begins to overtake day, is almost always stunning. What makes this photo a favorite of mine is the dune grass foreground. Without that texture and context, it would be ‘just another sunset’.

Bird life here is plentiful and diverse. In late fall to early winter large flocks of shorebirds migrate through. Over the years I’ve featured some, as I learned to identify what species they are. This shot was a moment of being in the ‘right place at the right time.’ The couple was walking away from where I stood, birds swirled through the air above them, and I took the photo.

If you follow my blog, you have seen this photo before. Mist had settled into the dunes as we crested the berm heading toward the beach. I stopped to see where Jello was and saw her silhouetted in ‘the golden hour,’ confirmation that light in early morning truly is magnificent.

During the initial two plus months of COVID19 shutdown, we opted to stay at our condominium in Long Beach. Twice a day Jello and I walked along the beach and resident Bald Eagles became accustomed to our presence. Always keeping a distance, so as not to intrude, I was blessed to get some great photos using the telephoto feature on my camera. The lesson here is, ‘just keep taking shots, you don’t have to pay to develop them, you can delete all that are blurry or blah, and once in a while you get something extraordinary!’

Wishing everyone safe harbor, as we navigate onward. Please mask-up and stay safe.🐾

Lens-Artists Challenge #139 – Special Moments