This photo of a seagull catching a fish was captured at 1/1600th of a second. It’s a split second moment that tells a detailed story about the struggle between the bird and the fish. A static image capturing a very brief moment (a “decisive moment” per Henri Cartier Bresson?) can grab our attention and lead us into a pondering frame of mind. How did the seagull snatch that fish from beneath the water without being knocked over by the wave? How does the bird keep her eye on the fish for the final grab that must take place after dunking her head underwater? What is happening in the bird’s brain and peripheral nervous system that allows such finely-tuned and timed coordination? Did the fish see her coming?
How can a person “live in the moment” if moments are so short? Is “reality” just a summary video selectively edited by our brain from an overwhelming amount of data assaulting our senses at a dizzying rate? Are the people around us seeing different videos, thus different realities, because their brains make different editing selections?
When I took this photograph I didn’t know the bird had a fish in its beak. I only saw that hours later when I was reviewing my pictures on my computer. Life frozen at 1/1600th of a second leaves me wondering about what I’m missing, but it also helps me appreciate the richness of the world around me.
Monte