marsh wrapped in soft fog
heron waits in still water
morning listening

-~-

One morning before sunrise I packed my camera and drove toward one of my favorite marsh locations. Warm air rising from the water created a soft veil of fog over the marsh.

The scene unfolded slowly. A pale sky began to glow above the trees as the marsh settled into the gentle, muted palette that only fog can create. The still water reflected the early colors of morning, and the land seemed suspended somewhere between night and day.

Moments like this are one of the reasons I love photographing the marsh. There is little movement, little noise, and almost no urgency. A lone heron stood along the water’s edge, barely disturbing the surface as fog drifted quietly through the trees.

After weeks of studio lights, grids, diagrams, and lesson writing, standing there with a camera in the open air felt like taking a deep breath.

Sometimes photography chases dramatic moments.
Other times it simply stands still long enough to listen.