Everything has a season.

Post Oak Creek

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

[Sony A700 w/Minolta 50mm 1.7 | 50mm | f/3.2 | 1/80s | ISO 400 | pop-up flash -0.7 EV]

This day, I was hiking with one lens, a Minolta 50mm 1.7, prime.  For many years it was the only lens I owned and therefore the only lens I used; it enjoyed a long season.  As I accumulated more lenses, its use became less frequent.  It had been a while since its last use and I chose it this day because it is light, fast, pretty sharp, renders great color, and has a very nice bokeh.  Its only drawback is my legs are its only “zoom”.

When I made this image, I was on the return leg of a hike from the Treasure Lake parking lot to the base of Elk Mountain, just below the Apple and Pear.  I was following Post Oak Creek and had just passed Little Post Oak Falls.  The canyon carved by the creek is very narrow with vertical walls of solid granite on both sides.  It was late in the afternoon and the canyon was in total shade.  For whatever reason, the above seen caught my eye.  Without light the rich colors of the granite were very muted but I liked the composition.  The only light source I had was the pop-up flash on my camera.  I don’t care much for flash but it can produce very pleasing results if it’s controlled.  I dialed it down to what I thought might produce the desired result.  I think it turned out okay.

What struck me about this scene is the contrast between the grasses of summer, lasting only a few short months and the seemingly eternal granite wall.  However, the idea of granite being eternal is betrayed by the granite gravel that lines the creek bank.  Eventually, it will decompose into even smaller particles, becoming the grains of  sand washed farther down the stream.  This picture speaks of the irony of the short season that accompanies shallow roots sank in sand vs. granite, the rock of ages.  Yes, everything has its season; but some are shorter than others.

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