Friday's photo, how a good photo happens, and a special offer for subscribers, or those who'd like to be

October 6, 2023

Willow and Waves (2016)

It probably wouldn’t surprise you that a dozen or so of my favorite photographs end up on one of my walls. So it is with this one—from a series I logged as Willow and Waves from late October 2016.

I had moved back to Spokane’s historic Browne’s Addition neighborhood four years earlier (I had moved there in 1981, then again in 1985, 1990, and, finally, 2012 on the heels of divorce) Between the third and fourth move (2004) the Sandifur footbridge was built and dedicated.

By 2016 I had walked or biked across it hundreds of time, often slowing or stopping to study the water because that’s what a photographer and diving duck enthusiast should do. Water, obviously, is a magical medium in addition to being a fine drink. Among other guises, it freezes and flakes and the silky vapors that swirl off the surface of the river in late fall/early winter coat bare branches that glisten with frost. It’s also a favorite place for mergansers who float by in the current or pass like low-flying missiles in the air above. So, it helps to be alert to what’s going on at and by the river.

In October 2016, I noticed a couple elements coming together. First, of course, were the willow branches, still thick with turning leaves, by then almost completely golden. The water had also come up, considerably, since its late summer trickle. Moreover, the Sandifur bridge sits just downstream from old railroad bridge footings that create turbulence on the river surface that is amplified as the water gets churned again by the footbridge pilings.

In short, it cried out for a time-lapse photo that would—under the right conditions—capture the golden cloud of the willow leaves and the texture of the whipped up water. I used “Bruce,” my Canon SLR, to take this photo which would normally have required a tripod to hold the camera still enough for the extra-long exposure. The problem was the railing on the bridge prevented a good foothold for the tripod. The answer was to use the bridge railing itself to stabilize the camera, which was just good enough for the half-second exposure needed to capture the motion of the feathery waves in the braided water.

I think you can see why it’s one of my favorites. If you enjoy it as much as I do, I’d be happy to sell you a copy. My standard rate for metal prints is $1 per square inch and this one works best (I think) at a 3x2 length-to-height ratio. The one on my wall is a 12 x18 for which I’d normally ask $216 (tax and shipping included). I do, however, offer a a 30% discount for paying subscribers to The Daily Rhubarb so the price, if you’re a subscriber, would be $150. If you’re not yet a subscriber to The Daily Rhubarb I would note that complimentary subscriptions come with all photo purchases above $200.

I’ll be offering favorite photos for exhibition and sales, here, on Fridays from now on. In the meantime, most of my current photo inventory can be found in the photo gallery at my Rhubarb Skies website. If you have questions (sizes, pricing, mediums, etc., or would like to place an order, you can reach me at my tjconnor56@gmail.com email. If you’d like to send photos as gifts the shipping costs to most U.S. destinations is free.

—tjc