What I Can’t Show You Yet

One of my challenges when creating new work is that not everything can be shared right away.

Over the past few weeks I’ve been spending time in the South Hills with a friend, adding new photographs to my growing collection of wildlife and night sky images. Some of those photographs may find their way into future fair and exhibit entries, which means they need to stay under wraps for a while longer.

Not everything will be saved for competition, so this week I’m sharing two recent favorites from the South Hills. One was photographed looking up into the almost-summer sky, the other a week later looking down on the ponds at last light. It’s a place that continues to surprise me with what it has to offer.

The Rift Above Moose Ponds was photographed on June 13. The week before, we had scouted a location where we hoped to photograph the Milky Way. When we arrived and checked our apps, we discovered the spot wasn’t going to work. We almost called it a night, but decided to stop at Moose Ponds before heading home.

It took longer than expected, and it was much colder than either of us anticipated. The Milky Way stretched across the horizon, with dark dust lanes carving a path through the center of our galaxy. Nights like this are a reminder of how much there is to see once the sun goes down.

This weekend we went on a sunset chase, hoping to find moose. As the sun sank, we tried to capture the last color before it disappeared. The moose must have had the same idea.

Even though the valley was already growing dark, we were able to witness what appeared to be an intimate moment between two moose. Moose Kisses captures a quiet exchange between them as they fed among the ponds. Whether it was affection, curiosity, or simply a brief moment of communication, it was a scene I was grateful to witness.

Not all of my creative time has been spent behind a camera. I’ve also been experimenting with scrapbook folios adapted from designs created by another paper crafter. At the moment these projects are intended as gifts for family, but they have been enjoyable to build and may eventually become something I offer to others.

For now, some projects remain hidden, some are still in progress, and a few are ready to be shared. That’s part of the creative process too.