positive shadows.

The picture of a shadow is a positive thing.
-John Locke

An overlooked detail in a photograph might be what caught your eye to begin with.

I was out to dinner with my parents over spring break at a restaurant at home called Rumrunners. Besides the great food, they have a really nice "backyard." I spent the time between eating and receiving the check out on the docks with my camera. My Dad was talking to me as we were watching pelicans swoop into the water when I turned around to be met by an unsuspecting visitor. A huge egret was standing so close to me that I was surprised I didn't startle it when I turned. For one thing, I had never seen an egret that big before, let alone that close to me. I noticed how the bird's shadow fell due to the position of the sun, and something about it caught my eye. I started snapping many pictures until it got tired of me and flew away.

I can't quite put my finger on what exactly the bird's shadow adds to the photo, but it just goes to show that we can get more out of something than what originally meets the eye. You just have to pay attention to catch that detail!