Photo evaluation

Sometimes, I get a quick picture that doesn't quite meet the "great shot" standard.

Like this one. Technically, it's not a great image. The light is way too harsh, the horse in the background is distracting, and the babies aren't exactly prepped for a shoot. When you break it down, it becomes a photographic disaster.

Sometimes, however, the photo escapes the delete button. My finger just can't quite bring itself to press "Del" and send the image to .jpg heaven. I had nearly committed this one to the trash can, but it spoke up at the last second, and said "Wait! Save Me!" Well, actually, Thumbelina, the beautiful subject of this image, spoke up and said it. Little Debbie, her associate, may have also had a say in the matter. As did Fancy's retreating rear end (...at least, I hope it was saying "Save Me," but with their diet, it's anyone's guess...).

When I stopped and took a second look at the shot, I picked up on some things I'd missed when evaluating for "greatness." Yes, the light is horridly harsh, but check out Thumbelina's cute expression. Yes, the babies are fuzzy, dirty, unclipped, and have more wild hairs than I do, but feel the connection, the bond, and the trust those babies must have. And yes. Fancy's big butt is a little distracting, but heck, if every photo with a big butt were deleted, there wouldn't be any images of me, either.

Is this a great photo? Nope! Will I ever win any contests with it? Not likely. Would it sell? Heck no. Despite all this, it'll stay on my computer for a while longer. When I look at it, I can see past it's shortfalls to see the horses themselves. Thumbelinas' innocent and strikingly curious expression is what saved this shot. The bond and trust between the two fillies is paramount and unmistakable. I'm reminded of the saying:

"In moments of reflection, what must a horse be thinking? I've seen something in their stare that is far away and beautiful beyond words."

Maybe in another few months, this shot will find its' way to the recycle bin, but for now, it's going to stay. At least until Thumbelina runs me over or until Debbie trashes the Gator again.