THE STORY BEHIND: “BUOYS IN SNOW”

In a photographer’s life, there are moments that can stop you dead in your track of exploration. Transcendental moments like this evoke feelings of divine happiness and oneness with the world. These experiences are rare, but the powerful nature of the images developed from it often reflects the significance of the encounter.

I had one of these experiences while exploring a peninsula in Hokkaido. I was searching for compositions when nature presented me with a breathtaking view of fishing buoys laid out on a snowy beach. I was so excited that I yelled out in reflex. I had seen buoys, and I had seen beaches, but this combination was utterly new. The snow amplified the magnificence of the scene, and I knew that I had to capture it.

I opted for a several minute long exposure, which smoothed out the water surface, softened the clouds and added a sense of spaciousness that allowed the buoys to stand out. It helped define the shape and color of the balls against the thin sheet of snow while imposing a sense of calmness to the scene. The afternoon light completed the image, making it look as if the sight had just been sitting there waiting for me to find it.

I spent an hour photographing, wholly engrossed in the scene. As I left in search of more subjects to discover before dark, I was reminded of the warmth brought by such randomness in the life of a photographer. It was a reminder that the world responds to the conscious search for beauty in capacities that surpass our expectations. Every day presents a possibility for this life to surprise us, and it does!