a quick shot

It was just a quick shot.

I looked up and there it was. Almost a tropical cliché. Black palms against a pastel-tinted sunset. With a little imagination you could almost imagine shrimp sizzling on the grill while cicadas tuned up for the evening.

Most of my best photographs (or, at least the photographs I like best) are quick shots. My people shots are far better if I do not indulge in the fussiness of framing and zooming. It is better if I take the advice of good photographers -- just take the shot.

And this photograph from last evening sums up my plans for the next week or so. I will be trading in coconut palms for views of the Cascades. For family reasons, I am heading off to Bend once again -- while fitting in a Los Angeles wedding.

If I turn off my writing machine on this trip, as I did two weeks ago, don't worry. I will eventually return.

After all, I am not done shooting those palms.