Ripples And Pebbles

photograph of ripples and rocks in the James River near Richmond, VA

I wanted to capture contrasts in this image.  The bright sunlight filling the upper right corner of the frame versus the dark shadows of the stones.  There’s also the serene, softly moving ripples on the water contrasting with the smooth but fixed and solid stones.

Sometimes we can find our duality in the simplest places.  Without hard there is no soft. Without bright there is no dark.

Anticipating Pelican

photograph of a Brown Pelican standing on a rocky jetty watching a fisherman

This Brown Pelican seems to know sometimes a little patience pays off.  It stood there for a while, quietly waiting to see if the fisherman had any handouts.  Unfortunately it never got that meal.  Two other fisherman arrived and the pelican decided it was time to move along.

Corolla Sunrise

photograph of sunrise over the beach at Corolla, North Carolina

 

Sometimes being a morning person pays off.  I took this photo during a trip to the beach last August.  I noticed the cloud bank that night and thought it was a shame the clouds probably wouldn’t be there at sunrise.  To my great surprise, the clouds barely moved overnight!  I awoke before dawn and watched this amazing sunrise slowly transform into morning.

Stones Along the Shore

photograph of stones along the shoreline

This photograph was taken on Hog Island Wildlife Management Area, along the James River, near Surry, VA.  It was a cold February morning, just after dawn.  While the entire scene looks wet, it was actually frozen.  The sand along the shore was a hard as cement and the foam around the river stones had been turned to ice.

Forster's Tern

photograph of a Forster's Tern hovering over a river

During a hike near the James River, I came across a group of Forster’s Terns flying above a stream.  I watched as they floated, effortlessly in the air above the water.  After a few seconds they would dive out of view and then come flying back up, circle around, and start over.  I assume they were catching small fish but I couldn’t get close enough to be sure.  The tern pictured here is hovering in position, waiting to dive.