It was before sunrise when a doe and a fawn came to
my garden. There is a lot of wildlife around the house – coyotes, peccaries,
and even cougar (mountain lion). Perhaps
deer are the most peaceful to encounter and watch.
I opened the Nikon–H 180mm lens to its widest and whistled.
For a second they both looked at me as if I were the intruder. And maybe I was.
When I printed the photo, the first thing I noticed
was their facial expressions. Mamma seemed calm, while the young one had eyes
wide opened. It was a perfect contrast between experience and discovery. Between
wondering and “having lived it before”.
The second thing I noticed was the large wound scar
on mamma’s hind quarter. It was too large for a coyote attack; only a cougar
could have done that. Yes, mamma had seen it all and survived.
… The fawn’s eyes and look made me think of some
expressions I had captured before. On people. When they did not always expect
me to be there. In those instances, my lens and I were again the intruders.
Sad
Eyes.
Her eyes tell the story and the positioning of her feet perhaps indecision. It
is a photo I like for its unconstrained context. It is a moment every human
has.
Life
is about to start. Yet, for this young girl in a remote
village, life had already shown its many faces. The comfort of holding a puppy
gives hope albeit also dependency.
Lonesome.
Like mamma deer, this woman may have scars. At least that was my thought when I
saw her sitting on the floor.
The
look of defiance. This young man held his pet snake with
the same love as the young girl held the puppy. Yet the look of the snake is
less comforting.
… It reminded me of an arrow about to take flight.
Perhaps into a new discovery or disappointment.
March 27, 2017
© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2017
