“Outside the dark is falling,
stars are twinkling bright
That old hoot owl is calling,
every thing’s all right
Honky tonk moon.”
“Honky Tonk Moon” by Randy Travis, written by Dennis O’rourke
And so, another Harvest Moon rises.
The cool dampness of the air, reminds us; everyone, this long dry summer is listing toward autumn. With hope that fall rains will ease the burden of drought on California, The Laguna de Santa Rosa runs though the cycle of coming alive in spring, thriving under summer warmth, exhibiting it’s colors of fall and hibernating through winter. For me, It’s the last full moon I will shoot over the Laguna during this year long project started last September 11.
It has taken me back and forth on it’s weedy, lush, sometimes tick infested shoreline, hunting for photographs. Never with a set plan, I let the Laguna speak for itself. Years ago, I learned that good photographs cannot be forced. Searching for a good image takes patience, a little luck and a willingness to let life unfold before your very eyes.
A big thanks goes out to my wife, who unbelievably, married me nearly 19 years ago and has patiently and thoughtfully helped me edit through thousands of images from the Laguna. My son, who is nearly as tall as I am, (6′-5″) has surprised me time and again with his encouragement and his willingness to put up with my infatuation of photography. He’s an artist, a baseball player and a great, smart kid with an easy smile and infectious laugh. Without these two, my life would be colorless and dull.
With that, a full moon. A Harvest Moon.
The Harvest Moon over the Laguna de Santa Rosa, Monday Sept. 8, 2014. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
Iconic palm trees at the Laguna Center frame the Harvest Moon, Monday Sept. 8, 2014. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
A harvester sits idle at the Laguna de Santa Rosa, Monday Sept. 8, 2014. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2014
-Kent Porter
