Thank you Mic. The decisive moment is that singular artistic niche is photography. A few years ago I drove the 400 miles to San Francisco just to see the exhibit of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photos. What an honor. To be able to capture the decisive moment with humans as my subject? … I am a reticent person, but I hope to learn to accomplish this some day.
This is an absolutely stunning image! To capture all three off the ground at once – what are the odds? Low bow to you! Now what I really want you to explain to me is how you do the time travel bit? 😉 (2016?)
Thank you! As I said elsewhere, the birds were putting on a show and opportunity abounded. As for the 2016 time travel? Meet me in Carpinteria in about two years, and I will give you the recipe to my elixir. Oh, and also … oopsie.
Agreed, a perfect moment!
Watching the (sanderlings) run; their bodies don’t bob up and down in the least, the legs are a just a whirring clockwork blur as they weave side to side following the edge of foam. The camera is a wonderful thing!
They like to catch the mole crabs that live barely under the surface of the sand; the crabs use the waves to begin their tumble-swim following the tides in and out. The wave edge is the moment the crabs pop out to swim, and the sanderlings have caught on.
Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen such a cute, adorable, fabulous photo of birds!! You really took a fantastic shot with those three. They make me smile and laugh at the same time! ~SueBee
Maybe with a really long zoom lens?! Your shots are so crisp and clear, what sort of camera and lens do you use? You’re an amazing photographer! ~SueBee
I use a Nikon D5000, and I have two favorite lenses – a long zoom (70-300m) and a micro (85mm). I have a couple of other lenses, but when I go to the beach those are the ones I take.
Looks like these birds are having great fun….”tripping the light fantastic.”
Now, who knows why that phrase immediately came to my mind—I haven’t heard it for a long time!
I looked it up on the internet to find out where the saying originally came from.
AND this is what I found: http://everything2.com/title/Tripping+the+light+fantastic
To trip the light fantastic” is a figure of speech meaning “to dance.” It originates from a verse in John Milton’s poem, “L’Allegro” (1632):
Haste thee Nymph and bring with thee
Jest and youthful Jollity (…)
Sport that wrinkled Care derides,
And Laughter holding both his sides.
Come, and trip it as ye go
On the light fantastick toe.
I never would have imagined that “tripping the light fantastic” is nearly 400 years old. Very interesting. I would have imagined it came from some Broadway show. Thanks for sharing, Mary!
At Carpinteria beach (85 miles north of Los Angeles) on Feb 16, 2016
MK pix 
They look like dancers, a marvellous capture of movement.
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Thank you Victor. They do seem to be choreographed, don’t they?
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Love this. I live near Pensacola Beach, and the pictures are just gorgeous. I could never NOT live near the water, especially where it is warm.
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I agree 100%. The beach is a pile of gifts waiting to be unwrapped, isn’t it?
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Wonderful! I am continually impressed by your ability to capture the decisive moment, mk!
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Thank you Mic. The decisive moment is that singular artistic niche is photography. A few years ago I drove the 400 miles to San Francisco just to see the exhibit of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s photos. What an honor. To be able to capture the decisive moment with humans as my subject? … I am a reticent person, but I hope to learn to accomplish this some day.
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This is absolutely WONDERFUL!
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Thank you so much, Gunta. They remind me of the thirteen-year olds I see, doing their physical education jog in shorts & T’s.
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This is an absolutely stunning image! To capture all three off the ground at once – what are the odds? Low bow to you! Now what I really want you to explain to me is how you do the time travel bit? 😉 (2016?)
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Thank you! As I said elsewhere, the birds were putting on a show and opportunity abounded. As for the 2016 time travel? Meet me in Carpinteria in about two years, and I will give you the recipe to my elixir. Oh, and also … oopsie.
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🙂
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Agreed, a perfect moment!
Watching the (sanderlings) run; their bodies don’t bob up and down in the least, the legs are a just a whirring clockwork blur as they weave side to side following the edge of foam. The camera is a wonderful thing!
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Yes, when they run along the waters edge, it is a dance between them and the foam.
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They like to catch the mole crabs that live barely under the surface of the sand; the crabs use the waves to begin their tumble-swim following the tides in and out. The wave edge is the moment the crabs pop out to swim, and the sanderlings have caught on.
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You have dashed my romantic notions with your closely observed reality! Ouch!
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Oh dear, I’ve done it again…
…maybe the sanderlings like them ’cause they do nice pedicures?
No?
I’ll work on this some more…
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Fantastic capture 🙂
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How sweet this is! Fantastic capture…love the motion and reflections!
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Thank you Susan! Yes, this picture somehow makes me feel protective of these little fellows.
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Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen such a cute, adorable, fabulous photo of birds!! You really took a fantastic shot with those three. They make me smile and laugh at the same time! ~SueBee
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If only we could figure a way to get them to run toward us, instead of away from us!
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Maybe with a really long zoom lens?! Your shots are so crisp and clear, what sort of camera and lens do you use? You’re an amazing photographer! ~SueBee
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Thanks Sue!
I use a Nikon D5000, and I have two favorite lenses – a long zoom (70-300m) and a micro (85mm). I have a couple of other lenses, but when I go to the beach those are the ones I take.
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thats great!!!
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Thank you so much Margo. They are so animated! The flock put on quite a little show.
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Looks like these birds are having great fun….”tripping the light fantastic.”
Now, who knows why that phrase immediately came to my mind—I haven’t heard it for a long time!
I looked it up on the internet to find out where the saying originally came from.
AND this is what I found:
http://everything2.com/title/Tripping+the+light+fantastic
To trip the light fantastic” is a figure of speech meaning “to dance.” It originates from a verse in John Milton’s poem, “L’Allegro” (1632):
Haste thee Nymph and bring with thee
Jest and youthful Jollity (…)
Sport that wrinkled Care derides,
And Laughter holding both his sides.
Come, and trip it as ye go
On the light fantastick toe.
LikeLike
I never would have imagined that “tripping the light fantastic” is nearly 400 years old. Very interesting. I would have imagined it came from some Broadway show. Thanks for sharing, Mary!
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