Goose by the Sea 005

While I was monitoring Goose, my gaze flicked to the other dog long enough to miss Goose’s foray into the ocean. When I whirled back to him, I started taking pictures. Unfortunately, I didn’t capture his first steps in the ocean. However, I recorded his first journey through the waters. In this first frame, he’s captured mid-stride.

His body was angled, ears perked, frozen in the alert tension of halted momentum. In this singular moment, you can see the tension throughout his body, ready to resume his sprint. This moment highlights the unrestrained joy of exploration. Regardless of the ripples disrupting the water’s surface, the focal point is the coiled dog.

The watercolor conversion softened the moment, without abandoning the sense of motion that existed in the original image. This is a rare moment of stillness. It’s one that isn’t about the enforced motionlessness, rather the moment between heartbeats that’s always a breath away from rushing forward.