As my project duration moves into the double digits (365 definitely feels like a long way off!), clouds have returned to the Georgia Piedmont. On a highly humid day (near one hundred percent), I ventured to Piney Woods Church Road in the early afternoon, in search of fog. There were light patches that helped soften the background landscape a bit, but nothing particularly enticing to photograph. Instead, though, I quickly discovered the potential of photographing water droplets suspended from the tips of leaves and branches. Using my plus four macro lens, I took dozens of droplet photos as I walked toward Hutcheson Ferry Road and back. My first — and last — photographs were taken of droplets on the leaves of cedar trees growing along the edge of a property bordering the road at its intersection with Rico Road. Facing the intersection, I framed my photos to include the brilliant red of the stop sign, out of focus in the background. Returning along Piney Woods Church Road, I wondered if it might be possible to take the same photograph, but include a vehicle driving by. The result (on the second attempt) was the image below. I have titled it “Stop Action” to reflect the juxtaposition of the car racing by with the “frozen in time” feeling created by the water droplet, with the stop sign adds further to this visual contradiction. I am tempted to add that this is probably one of my most didactic photos I have taken lately, recommending that we “stop action” from time to time in order to notice the ephemeral and the beautiful all around us. How often have we allowed ourselves the time after a light rainfall to wander the land, admiring the lingering water droplets that cover pine needles and honeysuckle vine tendrils like tiny jewels?
