A Moment Without a Lens

There I was standing in a field surrounded by the most beautiful sunset. A cool breeze was blowing across summer grasses, tiny puffs of clouds, all lined up in rows, had captured the fading pink sunlight and turned the world magical. I could spin and see it from all directions. Marveling at the beauty around me, for just a few moments I stared and soaked it all in.

That sunset was such a healing for my soul. The stress of life, I admit, had taken hold of me. Between work and school, health and building construction, there seems to be so much going on in my life these days. Friends email me, wanting to know if I am okay. I respond, "Really I am.," and whiz away again on some other errand.

I have no photograph of that sunset, except for what is imprinted in my mind. I hold a lot of memories that way. I have found that being without a camera in my hand is almost as good for me as being with one. For once, nothing is required of me. I don't have to worry about camera modes, lighting, or composition. I won't have to edit, resize, or post it later. And I don't have to put anything into words. I can, in effect, let words fail me. There I am, just standing, being myself, watching an event unfold that I have no control over.

Oh, I have other pictures of many sunsets, some which were more spectacular than others, but I think the best photographs are often the ones in my mind. They are those that demanded nothing of me and asked no responsibility from me other than just to be remembered.

People, Longboat Key, Florida
August 2001

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Suzanne
Suzanne Williams Photography
Florida, USA

Suzanne Williams is a native Floridian, wife, and mother, with a penchant for spelling anything, who happens to love photography.