Photo - Swap - Thursday # 1

Hi Everyone,

Like all of you, I’m a big fan of Susanne’s work. I hope you will enjoy our Photo Swap Thursdays as much as I know Susanne and I will! This first photo was taken at sunset in Bodega Bay, California. The story behind it is below:

It was an ordinary sea gull doing nothing more than what sea birds ordinarily do. But the sun was dragging the light of coastal California back into the sea and launching its final spears of light at a craggy shoreline… It was too cold for crowds on the bluff, and soon it was only the bird and me. A fierce and chilling wind whipped my hair, blinding me until I turned to face its force directly. The bird soared effortlessly on its current, floating up again and again without twitching a muscle, merely tipping from side to side to catch the wind’s lift and riding the gusting draft as the sinking sun ignited sand and surf below…

A warm car awaited me. And dinner. A long drive too, during which I would be able to sink into my seat and watch the creeping night absorb the silhouettes along the road. The intensity of the chilling wind would fade instantly to a faint whistle when I leapt into the heated car. And so I could linger for a moment.

It was one of those perfect moments where the intensities of the external and the internal blend into a lasting sensory picture to file under “memories” in your inner library.

The wonder of this one was that I also got the photograph…

"Heather Dugan is a writer/photographer and voice-over/on-camera talent based in Central Ohio with clients worldwide. A frequent traveler and lover of the outdoors, she is never without her camera or running shoes.

Her travel adventures are chronicled on "Footsteps" www.heatherdugan.com/blogNEW

Writing samples/article links and recording demos can be found at www.heatherdugan.com. "