Daily Post Photo Challenge: ephemeral

Reflection of the garden in a water droplet, hanging from the bud of an impatiens. What could be more ephemeral? Photo: Su Leslie, 2015

So much in life is ephemeral; moments that dissolve and never reappear. Sometimes ephemerality (is that a word??) comes from the unique and specific convergence of several elements. From an impatiens bud (which tomorrow will be a flower) hangs a droplet of rainwater (which will shortly fall to the ground and be absorbed into our parched back lawn). Reflected in that droplet is an upside down garden, itself subject to constant and sometimes significant change. I could return to the same spot every day — or at least after every rain shower — and never recapture this moment.

It’s ironic maybe that photography, by capturing an image of the ephemeral, removes that very quality. Yet of course, photography itself is not permanent in the big scheme of things. Old negatives degrade, prints are damaged and destroyed, the electronic files in which contemporary images are stored are subject to deletion, corruption and technological change.

So we must enjoy our moments now; celebrate the water droplet, the perfect latte, the cat snoozing in the window, and above all the time we spend with those we love and cherish.

This is not where I normally drink my morning coffee, so a perfect latte on a perfect winter’s morning at Caffe Eis, on Wellington’s waterfront — a moment to cherish. Photo: Su Leslie, 2010.

Rain on garden mesh rendered a bit magical by a bit of bokeh and a random play of light. Photo: Su Leslie, 2014.

Seen in a bookshop window in San Francisco. I was captivated by the reflection of the word “books” on the sleeping cat’s fur. Photo: Su Leslie, 2015.

Love at first sight. My son, aged 4, showed an instant and total affection for his great aunt Evelyn and great uncle Tom. This photo was taken within minutes of their first meeting. The boy-child is now 17, and Uncle Tom is no longer with us. Photo: Gray family archive.

This post was written for the Daily Post Weekly Photo Challenge.