Serendipity

Picket Fence, Yorktown, Virginia (click to enlarge)
X-T1, 50-140mm f/2.8 @ 140mm; 1/210th sec. @ f/11; ISO 200

Serendipity is one of my favorite words.  I think I like it for its meaning and how serendipity makes many of us feel and for the sound of the word as well. Here is a simple definition according to the Merriam-Webster online reference I found:

 "luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for" 

I like to refer to serendipity as an unexpected pleasant find; those things you find through happenstance that make you smile.

Symmetry, Yorktown, Virginia (click to enlarge)
X-T1, 18-55mm f/2.8-3.5 @ 25.4mm; 1/250th sec. @ f/11; ISO 200

Serendipity is one of the reasons I practice the types of photography I most enjoy.  I love wandering around with no particular preconceived notions, just keeping my eyes open looking for an unexpected and pleasing subjects, i.e., serendipity.

Corner, Yorktown, Virginia (click to enlarge)
X-T1, 10-24mm f/4 @ 11mm; 1/300th sec. @ f/11; ISO 200

These images are examples of just that. Last week a friend and I got together for the morning to walk around a nearby historic town and battlefield to first, spend time together as friends sharing conversation and a common interest and second, to see what we could find photographically that was serendipitous. The images in this post are a result of that morning.

There is much made of having photographic projects and how projects will be good for your photographic growth.  I'm a bit of a contrarian as I like to go out without any preconceived notions to wander and be surprised by what I see that most others never take the time to notice.  Those little noticed juxtapositions, repeating patterns, contrasts or compliments of color, contradictions, even humorous subjects, etc. that most will walk by and never see.  Those are the ones I most enjoy.  That is not to say that I don't engage in projects as well on occasion.

Back Road, Yorktown, Virginia (click to enlarge)
X-T1, 50-140mm f/2.8 @ 140mm; 
1/20th sec. @ f/8; ISO 2500 (handheld!)

I will post more on Wednesday.  In the three or so hours my friend and I wandered around, I found several pleasing images.  Pleasing images seem to be all around us, if we only took time to "see" them.  Come back on Wednesday for several more.

Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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