A Beautiful Diversion

I have been in the process of descriptively writing about some early morning kayaking I have done while at Lake Groton. It should be a really nice piece when I finally finish it. Because of that project, I have been skimming through my hard drives searching for the best photos I have shot from my kayak while the sun is rising and slowly burning off all the early morning fog. Occasionally, I come across an unrelated photo which captures my attention. This photo here was one such photo and understandingly diverted me from my original project.

I'm sure that those of you from Waterbury recognize this cluttered but blurry background as The Alchemist Pub & Brewery. This photo was shot in May, 2011 before Tropical Storm Irene destroyed all of downtown Waterbury including this popular gathering place by submerging and swallowing our entire community and spitting out nothing but destruction, mold, mildew and tons upon tons of stinky, oil and sewage laden mud.

My camera was new back then. Well, it was new for me as a refurbished 2009 model. I was still using the kit lens and learning how to use the camera effectively. For shooting with an inexpensive kit lens, this photo looks exceptionally nice and instantly captured my attention the moment I saw it.

The clarity of this photo immediately captured my attention so much so that it almost took my breath away. Well, part of that reaction may be due to who the subject is and the beauty of this subject! I love the separation between Sheila and the cluttered background... I love the eye contact... I love the relaxed pose... I love the tonality...  

I should write a note to myself reminding me to revisit all these old photos from our nights on the town at The Alchemist when it was open for business and a huge draw for lively nightlife in Waterbury. I have a lot of nice 'people photos' such as this one which would make a nice album of great memories.

Of course, no photos can compare to the beautiful photos I have of Sheila such as this one above. This was a very pleasant and beautiful diversion from my kayaking project...