TAKE A MOMENT
The photo this month was actually taken back in the Summer of 2016 at Lago di Braies in Italy, while we were on our annual holiday. We had set ourselves the task of walking around the lake to a waterfall some distance away. We were no more than half way when we came across an outcrop and saw this elderly couple taking in the view.
It was one of those times when I just knew that I had to capture that moment. Lots of light, ISO 100. Couple not far away, distant mountains, f22. Shutter speed reasonably quick, and there we have it; moment captured. On we went. It is only now, some two years later, that, having looked at that photo many times since and having experienced a little more since then, I too have stopped to savour the view.
In truth, it took me several minutes to set up the picture; I wanted to make sure I took the time to get it right. In the end, I took three shots and the one you see is the last one. There are several things I love about this photo:
Firstly, throughout the whole time I was getting ready to take it, the couple remained absolutely motionless. They were simply enjoying the view; taking time to stop and just be. Secondly, until that time, I had never seen water that colour. During the processing of the image, I tried to maintain the accuracy of the colour and yes, it really is that vivid. Finally, I always love mountains. There’s something so permanent about them that you can almost feel it. I guess it was something deep down that resonated with all those things that compelled me to capture that moment.
I have pondered on this.
The thing that really touches my soul about the image is the contrast between the motionless couple in their timeless moment and the permanence of the mountains that we imagine have been watching over that scene for eons. And yet, while the mountains seem so fixed, they are being slowly eroded to create the mineral sediment that makes the lake such a vivid blue-green. In a similar way, we are all being transformed into a visible scene for all to see, even if sometimes we would prefer our palette to be made of different colours.
There is a scene from one of the Star Trek movies where a simple-living planet dweller shows the starship Captain how to stop time and live in the moment; to see the waterfall stop and to hear the single beats of a hummingbird’s wings. In our technological commercially-oriented existence, we can be so busy that it is possible to never stop and be ‘in the moment’.
I have often wondered what it would be like to stop time.
It is said that with God a thousand years is like a day and a day is like a thousand years. It is not entirely clear what that means except to say that his perception of time is somewhat different to ours. But what must that be like? To be able to consider something for as long as it takes. To see things from every perspective all at once. Perhaps we will never have this luxury in this life, but we can all take a few moments to stop and stare and to ponder whether what we see holds any meaning for us other than “… nice, move on …”
