Casting my eyes out to pastel skies hanging low over the Andaman Sea. Standing on the crest of a hill overlooking the shore of the Promthep Cape at the northwestern reaches of the Malacca Strait while waiting patiently with camera in hand. Sunsets are magical things.
The setting sun burns a hole in the muted sky, the last moments of a molten ball of fire smoldering in the mist never quite touching the horizon line. It’s an instant when one’s senses are alive and fully present moment. The first whispers of a cool offshore breeze tickle the hair on the nap of my neck. Yes, it’s the perfect place to be.
Steadily, the shutter fires away. The camera buffers and writes the images to the memory card. Moments are captured. Making decent photos has a lot to do with figuring out the “perfect place to be,” and getting there and set in time for the decisive moment. For me, it’s a little deeper than that. Photography is not so much about capturing the beauty, but experiencing it first, and then recording the moment before it’s gone. And over time, it’s a collection of these little slices that make up a life well-lived.
One last glance to the horizon as the sky fades to dull gray. It’s an excellent moment to consider the gravity of things. Yes, dreams do come true to those willing to give fair chase. I bag my camera and begin ambling down the hill into the dusk. Thus ends a day spent well. Making out the shadow of my driver’s tuk-tuk, it’s time to lean forward to a new day. Life is good. Get some.
