Green Riffle

The challenges of getting to a scene rarely make a photograph of it better.

This minimalist photo was taken during a five-day backpacking trip in the remote canyons of the Escalante River. On my third day, I waded the river at its junction with a side canyon and, looking back, noticed the small standing waves colored a brilliant yellow-green by nearby sunlit cottonwood trees. In the stillness and heat of the high desert, the white noise of flowing water and the occasional descending crescendo of the canyon wren’s song were the only sounds. 

I wish the image could convey the experience of the moment—the day's warmth, the evaporating perspiration in the cooling breeze, the gentle murmur of the standing waves, and my delight in finding this simple and colorful scene. And it would be nice (for sympathy) if this simple scene could convey the complexities of getting here, the oppressive weight of the backpack, and the fatigue experienced at the end of the day. 

But it can’t.

The challenges of getting to a scene rarely make a photograph of it better. For good or bad, the viewer cannot know the details of the photographer's experience. They have only the photo to go by and will interpret it through the lens of their personal experiences.