I was loading my gear into my car after finishing a time lapse of the sunset at Chapoquoit this evening when I heard someone exclaim: "Hey, there's a paddle boarder out there." The paddle boarder was just passing in front of the last great colors of the fading sunset when I saw him. I rushed to get my camera out of my backpack and ran to get the shot. Alas, he had already paddled away from the best part of the sky by the time I was ready to take the shot. I actually was thinking of yelling at the paddle boarder to go back so I could take a better picture, but I didn't.
It turns out that the paddle boarder was Miles Manning, one of the kite surfers. I recognized him as he got out of the water and started walking up the beach toward me. Miles offered to get back in the water for a "do-over" after I told him the story of how I had just missed a really great shot of him. But, as everybody who has ever photographed a sunset knows, the light is fleeting and the great moments pass quickly. Miles responded to the situation with his characteristic optimism: "There will be other opportunities."
Yes, there will.
Monte