Saturday, July 19

So water polo isn’t completely over. Molly got to play in a tournament called the Spartan Invitational or some such thing. She played on what would have been called a pick-up team when I was a kid. Anyone that was available was pulled in. Most of them haven’t played for weeks and they haven’t played together as a team. Needless to say, they lost to a well organized team. But, they had some fun.

Yucking it up with buds.

What, me worry?

On the D.

Determination.

Hanging out.

Real classy.

I got out to do some odonata photography this morning. A few things were out and about but I didn’t get too many pictures. The bugs were pretty skittish and when they weren’t skittish the breeze was up.

I’m starting to see odenata photography as a Zen kind of thing. It’s not about getting great pictures, something that rarely happens. Rather, odonata photography is a process that can lead one to ultimate enlightenment. The pictures must not be important since you rarely get any. The process is what’s important. It’s the process of taking the pictures you enjoy. The process is an end onto itself, leading to enlightenment. In order to maintain sanity in odenata photography you must realize that you are not in command and everything happens for a reason. You become a part of the process, not controlling the process, living in the moment of trying to capture an image. The heat and sweat running down your back are part of the process leading to enlightenment. You learn to become one with it. Gnats, mosquitoes, poison ivy, and mud are there for your enjoyment and experience. To reach enlightenment you must absorb the experience that many others will never know and make it part of you. Dropping a $400 flash in the water is part of the process. It’s only a material object. Allow yourself to enjoy your freedom from material objects and become invested in the process instead. Besides, your $2,500 in camera gear can be replaced as long as you don’t send your kid to college. When you actually get close enough to take a picture, with perfect lighting and focus, and the odonate flies at the critical moment, it flies for a reason. Because it’s not supposed to be like this. Like the Cubs or the Orioles leading their division in August. It’s not right. There is an imbalance to the harmony of the world that must be righted. And so they fly. Or start losing.

Because if they ever do cooperate, be afraid, be very afraid. It’s probably a trap. The one cooperating and letting you get close enough for a picture is the bait. It lures you into a feeling of pleasure and a false sense of enlightenment. Then the bastards own you. They attack, and like piranha, it’s over in moments. Nothing left but smiling enlightened bones and a Nikon. Then the world is peaceful again. All is right. No great odenata pictures, no pennant for the Cubs or the Orioles. It’s part of the process. As they wait for the next photographer.