So… today I was on radio to talk about the Holiday Art Crawl in Ruston, La. The show host, Rick Godley, surprised me by asking if a particular photograph, of all the thousands I have made, stood out as a favorite.

Delta Dragon is the first one that popped into my head. Yes, I have, in fact, made many photographs that are–at least to me–memorable. But Delta Dragon does stand out. I still like it, a lot. I still think it is the best shot I could have made of that particular scene at that time and in that place. And I think the words I chose to go with it, “Delta Dragon,” are the best possible choice.

I don’t often feel that way about my images! Most of the time, I tend more to obsessing about what I could have done to make it just a little bit better. Why didn’t you move a foot to the left? Why didn’t you go for a lower angle? And on and on….

And how did this happen? I was NOT dressed to shoot. In fact, for those who don’t know, I am an Episcopal Deacon and I was dressed to lead worship. I was driving to a small parish in the heart of delta agriculture early on a misty Sunday morning. And I saw this, pulled to the side of the road, got out and within minutes, had my shot. Yes, it took a little editing to bring out the colors and texture of the mist, but not that much.

And, finally, I must mention that this image was invited to Art Melt 2013. Art Melt is the largest juried exhibition exclusively for Louisiana artists. It is conducted annually by Forum 35 of Baton Rouge, and the competition to get invited is tough. I was, and still am, incredibly proud to have gotten in with this image.

I have now been invited to Art Melt two more times, and to other regional shows, but Delta Dragon got me my first invitation to a large scale juried exhibit. Thanks for asking, Rick!