A WINTER MOMENT

SUSANNAH H. SNOWDEN—MYSTIC, CONNECTICUT

Heavy, wet snow had been falling all day. It was late afternoon, and the light was fading fast. I had to get outside with a camera—right now!—and capture the breathtaking beauty of the scene in one perfect image. I was in my teens. Though I'd been taking photographs for years, I couldn't yet afford a camera of my own. So I borrowed my mom's SLR (single lens reflex) and headed out the door.

I found a few possibilities in our yard, but quickly passed them up. Our neighbors were away, so I continued my search in their driveway across the street. Here I found what I was looking for—bright orange berries and green leaves in striking contrast in steel-blue winter light.

I lay down on my side to get this shot, the wet ground soaking into my clothing. I framed the snow-coated cluster of berries in the foreground, with other brightly colored bunches in the background. The moist air had settled in water beads on the camera lens. I wiped them away. I knew that in the waning light, this would be a long, hand-held exposure. I kept the camera steady against my eye and slowly clicked off a single shot, confident that I'd gotten an image capturing the beauty of the day.

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A WINTER MOMENT

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