They say, actions speak louder than words. And we all know that is relative to character.

Or is it?

I think the photo below speaks volumes, without any help from me. The sheer joy of my granddaughter at the local splash park sells that well. I love the expression on her face, her bouncy hair, and the splashy, water everywhere.

This week Patti, of the Lens Artists community challenges us with finding motion in photography. I am a big fan of action photography, mostly because of the unknown, outcomes. I can click away, and never know what will find it’s way on to the memory card. The featured photo is a great example of that. High five to us for pulling it off.

The element of surprise is half the fun. While we can plan where we will be, the photos we capture are often luck of the draw. We don’t know the exact moment a pelican will dive in the water, or if we captured the success of a world-class hurdler. So we guesstimate, we try. To keep it easy, I set my camera to rapid fire, and cross my fingers. The goal is to capture a sequence, a series, or a cool fly-by from the Air Force Thunderbirds.

I missed.

It’s all a part of the fun. In all honestly, I have lots of photos from that day, but this one still makes me laugh.

Motion in photography elicits emotion. I know, I know, all photography will tug at your emotions, but today motion is on my mind. And if you feel the anticipation of the surfer, I have succeeded.

Can you also understand that suspended movement illustrates perception of what might happen next? I would like to tell you that the same camera that caught the spin/twist also caught the winning touchdown. It didn’t. My grandson will tell you it was his best move ever. Success? You decide.

I already know.

Finally, the last photo is of visual flow. With this idea, it is possible to direct the eye on a graceful, meandering journey. And while I stopped the tide with my camera, the footprints are what indirectly draws the eye ahead, simulating motion.

A mere suggestion, if you will.

Wind Kisses, Donna