For that instant, the heron became a bridge between two worlds.

With the cries of gulls overhead and the honking of geese echoing softly in the distance, a thick silvery mist gently rolled across the still lagoon waters. It moved like a whispered secret, slowly creeping across the surface as the cool sea breeze carried it inland. The early morning sun, pale and shy, flickered in and out of view, its soft rays momentarily piercing the mist to cast a bluish hue over the meeting of air and water. In this serene landscape, time seemed to stand still, held in the delicate balance of nature's rhythm.

And then, as if summoned by the quiet, a white heron emerged from the mist. Its wings, long and graceful, moved almost in slow motion, rising and falling in a steady, deliberate beat. The bird glided effortlessly across the lagoon, a silent apparition against the pale dawn. Every movement seemed both purposeful and fluid, as if the heron were part of the mist itself, a creature of the in-between.

As it passed by, its wing dipped down, brushing the surface of the water for the briefest of moments. The touch was gentle, barely there, but it rippled outward, sending soft rings across the lagoon. The heron’s wing, with its dulcet, silent flip, met the mercurial surface—a fleeting connection between earth and sky, between the seen and unseen. It was a reminder of the delicate thread that ties us all to this world, a thread so easily forgotten in the noise of everyday life.

For that instant, the heron became a bridge between two worlds. The lagoon, still and reflective, was a canvas of silver and light, while the mist above created a veil of mystery. In that one moment, the heron seemed to embody the very essence of beauty and grace, a silent witness to the peaceful, ever-changing world around it.

The heron continued its silent journey, its form dissolving slowly back into the mist, becoming one with the ethereal scene once more. The lagoon, now disturbed only by the ripples from its brief touch, resumed its stillness, and the world seemed to exhale. The calls of some gulls broke through the quiet, drawing attention back to the day ahead. Life returned to its familiar rhythm, the pressing concerns of the day once more taking center stage.

A Thought About Touch

These moments remind us of the fleeting nature of beauty, of life itself. So often we move through our days unaware of the small wonders that surround us. The mist rolls in and out of our lives, unspoken and unnoticed, as we focus on the pressing concerns of the moment. Yet there are those brief, magical instances—like the heron’s wing brushing the water—that pull us back, that remind us of something deeper, something beyond the immediate.

Life is not a series of predictable chapters, neatly organised and unfolding in sequence. It is more like the mist—shifting, elusive, often missed. It is the spaces between the obvious moments, the quiet that speaks when we are not listening. And just as the heron’s wing touched the water, so too do we encounter moments of grace, of connection. They cannot be planned or forced; they simply arrive, unannounced, and then they are gone.

For me, the mist that rolled across the lagoon that morning was not just an atmospheric phenomenon; it was a metaphor for the way life moves around us, unnoticed but ever-present. And the heron, with its silent wing and its brief touch on the water, was a symbol of how fleeting and precious these moments of awareness are.

Perhaps that is what life is, after all. Not the grand gestures or the planned events, but the quiet moments when something unexpected touches us, leaving a ripple in its wake. The heron’s wing, the mist, the water—they are all part of the same delicate, ever-changing dance. And for those who take the time to notice, there is beauty in every step.

Feathered Friends Collection

Welcome to our feathered friends, with their flights of fancy, twitchers' delight, and the lightest touch.

Ever-present in our lives, birds fill the skies, settle in tree branches, and thrive on the ground. Their movements fill us with delight and awe, and their silence is broken by delightful songs or anxious craws. This collection celebrates these moments in time with our feathered friends.

Sony A1, Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS, FL: 200mm, S: 1/1000s, A: F5.6, ISO: 400.