Wonder
So there I was, very intently trying to photograph the sea lion as it swan past the collection of spectators. Every time it passed, my friends and I would fire off a round of photos, trying to get that perfect shot, following it as it moved. After a final pass, when I felt I had gotten the best I was going to get, I resumed wandering the zoo. It wasn't until later that I spotted this shot, an accidental over-shoot while following the animal swimming. I almost tossed it, until I noticed the children's faces, hidden in shadow. I was taken aback, seeing the wonder in their eyes. This might have been the first time these children ever saw a sea lion, and it brought me back to my first visit to the National Zoo, in comparison to subsequent visits. I've been there a few times a year in several recent years, but I never just stop and look at the animals anymore, I'm always wrapped up in creating photos of them, instead of being awestruck by the mere sight of a several-hundred-pound animal gracefully and rapidly swimming through water, mere inches in front of me.