June 20, 2018; Doubtful Sound, South Island, New Zealand. It was a beautiful day. First day of winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Bright sun. Not a cloud in the sky. Gorgeous. The air was crisp. Clean. Cold.
Except this was our one and only day to photograph one of the most dramatic fjords in New Zealand. We wanted clouds. Mist. Fog. Dark dusky drama. Rain squalls. Rainbows. We got none of it. Mother Nature served up sunshine. What was she thinking?
She did provide the makings of one good sea/landscape — appropriately deep blue. See my last blog post.
And now here’s the rest of the story:
Not more than a few minutes later exploded a dolphin, the low sun adding a tiny touch of gold to each lens droplet of the water burst. Up. Click. Gone.
And then it was quiet again.
(Nikon D500; Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 ED VR zoom. RAW processing in DxO PhotoLab; final editing in Adobe Photoshop.)
AMAGA Photography Blog 
Would make you believe in the good things in life.
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’Twould. Thank you.
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Seems like Nature provide pretty fair recompense for all that horrible sunshine. An amazing moment to capture an amazing creature.
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Yes, I would have to say she did. Thank you, and there were many amazing moments on that trip. I may share more of them in the future.
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Right place at the right time (plus excellent reflexes!)
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Well, New Zealand is pretty much always the right place. And it was a magic moment. Thank you.
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an arch, triangle, and half circle…all in a moment of time…an unexpected gift from nature.
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Indeed. Thank you. I have wondered since if the dolphin somehow knew…
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My readings of Thich Nhat Hanh would have me say, yes indeed.
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I agree. Especially a dolphin. My wife swam with dolphins later in the trip and she says it was an amazing spiritual experience.
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Absolutely stunning and awe inspiring!!!! CKK
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Thank you.
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What a wonderful gift! Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for admiring!
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Right place, right time, and well-prepared to nail the opportunity. Nicely done, Michael.
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Thank you very much. I could, would, and do say the same thing about your latest post.
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What luck to have been able to press the shutter just…then! I like the sense of grand space around the dolphin, with the cliff behind it. And that sun-sparkled splash against the matte blues. New Zealand is one of those places I’d love to get to, but – a long trip, and a pretty penny! 🙂
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Thank you. And now here’s the rest of the story: There were about 10 people in front of me snapping away with their cell phones while I was trying to get my long lens to thread a path between them to the spot where several dolphins were jumping. So, luck really had a lot to do with it.
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It’s interesting how easily we can idealize those moments, both/either as the communicator and the recipient. Sometimes they’re not quite as ideal as they sound at first blush, yet this photo manages to give us all the joy with none of the hassle. 🙂
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There is always the luck component…
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Awesome timing, beautiful spot.
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Thank you very much, Dave.
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Spectacular!
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Thanks very much!
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