Heroes Not Zombies

Funny thing about light – you can’t see it. You can see what it illuminates, but you can’t see the light itself.

Yet in a photo like this, it looks as if at least some light has become visible. In fact, you’d probably agree that this is a photo of a “shaft of light”.

But it’s all the tiny, otherwise invisible particles suspended in the air which can see all of a sudden.

Why is this shaft so narrow? Aren’t the tiny particles everywhere? I expect they are. What makes the shaft so narrow is the width of the gap in the trees through which the sun is shining.

So, we have sunlight, trees and air filled with normally invisible tiny particles, all combining to create this visual treat for us.

But does that matter? Do I need to understand how the sunbeam appears? Not really. I can be happy, delighted, filled with wonder and delight just in the moment of the encounter, when I raise my camera and press the shutter release, so I can come back again and again to be equally delighted and amazed.

“L’émerveillement du quotidien”