The light play in this photo thrills me. I was hiking off the pristine beaten paths of Airlie Gardens in Coastal Wilmington, North Carolina searching for sightings and vantage points not usually seen from the walking paths. A yellow-bellied slider had caught my eye with a sea of bokeh behind it, so I nestled in flat to the water, to get a shot. Just then a few Canada geese floated into view, with the dazzling light of the afternoon sun behind them. I quickly changed focus and began to shoot. The range of color in the tiny bokeh, reflecting the minerals in the lake water, and the refracted light waves mirroring this goose’s back are fantastic. Just below his curved neck, the sun itself seems to be rising with rays reflecting up, highlighted by the black of the neck. I strive to capture mood and subject in tandem, and have revisited this spot regularly, always hoping to find that perfect mix of afternoon sun, subject and character.