With digital and cell phone cameras, there are pictures everywhere. I love being able to preview the photos on the LCD screen and deciding whether or not to keep it or to try the shot again. I smile to think of the money saved by having all those “didn’t quite turn out” shots deleted and not printed! Sometimes there are things I miss in a photo until I see the photo enlarged on my computer. It might be the photo isn’t as clear as I thought it was or the plant looks like it’s growing out of Uncle Bob’s head! But I love when I discover something exciting.
A few of my favorite surprises are:
- a downy woodpecker that looks like he’s in the spotlight, when actually it’s just the way the light was shining at the bird blind
- the falling snow that made the photo look like a watercolor
- zooming in on a small pile of snow atop a bush only to discover the clear detail of a snowflake
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- In the Spotlight
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- Snow Effects
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- Snowflake Detail
With film cameras, the surprises were often categorized as an “oops” and the photo thrown away. While in Maui in 1993, five of us from my YWAM DTS did some sightseeing and went to the top of Haleakala on Maui to watch the sunset. There are many things in the photo I don’t think I noticed when I took it. What I caught in the picture was the sun shining on Ryan’s face, the moon in the sky and the shadow of Haleakala on the clouds!
Sun, Moon & Shadows
Take a look through some of your photos. Even if there are no surprises, you’ll find lots of good memories to smile about.
The Smile Diaries 
Great shots, I particularly like the tree and snow … every snowflake is different! But, you have to have just the right conditions to see them. Great catch!