Himalayan Photo Shoot
All my life I’ve searched for him – elusive, different, nearly extinct, magnificent.
Click. Upload. Now he’s poised on the snow-covered ledge above me.
Click. Upload. His sturdy body, with grey rosette spots, is framed by an impossibly blue sky.
Click. Upload. He crouches, preparing to jump. I await my masterpiece – this proud and glorious creature leaping into eternity.
Click. Upload. He launches himself into space. I capture his blue eyes, the avalanche tumbling behind him, his fear. He sees no fear in me. Soon we will both be swallowed up. But these photographs will bring us immortality.
Click. Upload. Click …
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleWhat a nice description with relevance to photography. Using the phrase “click, upload” makes it more captivating, which brings me to the scene.
Thank you, Lotchie! I used the phrase “click, upload” to make sure all his pictures got saved to an external device, since his camera may never be found after the avalanche. I recently read a story about hikers who were caught in an avalanche and filmed the entire thing. Their camera was found buried in the snow, but still intact, and the video they took shows the last minutes of their lives.
You’re welcome.
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleHello Fuji, I’ve read this twice, three times now, and I must confess that I have to ask – is she/he talking about inner courage? And I’ve just gone back to read again. I’ll look forward to your reply, but if it is a case of the reader finding/reading their own interpretation, then of course you do not need to answer.
Hello Eric – There are no hidden meanings here, no allegories. This story is just what it seems to be – a story of a photographer looking for an unforgettable photo that will make him famous, and a celebration of an animal so elusive his nickname is “Ghost of the Himalayas” – the magnificent Snow Leopard. Like my protagonist, I’ve longed to see him leap against the deep blue Himalayan sky. I’ve… Read more »
Fuji, this was such a bittersweet story. Your protagonist finally sees and captures photos of this magnificent creature, just for both of them to not survive the encounter. The lines “click, upload” adds a lot to keeping the reader on track of what exactly is happening when. This was well told.
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you Marianna. I had to add the avalanche to the story; there was no other way to get the Snow Leopard to leap toward a human being. There is no known instance of a Snow Leopard ever attacking a human and they will rarely even move toward one. So to get the shot I wanted my photographer to get, I had to throw in the avalanche. Sorry about that!
This made me think of ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’. A photographer in that was trying to get that shot of the elusive snow leopard too. Such a majestic beast. It takes some dedication to your craft to risk dying for it!
Oh my gosh, Carrie. I didn’t know there was a movie based on The Secret Life of Walter Mitty until I just now looked up your reference. Wow – I will have to watch it somehow, just to see the scene with the Snow Leopard. I don’t remember a scene like that in the original Thurber. Do you? I always loved Walter Mitty, and identified with him! Probably all of us writers… Read more »
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleI only saw the film, but could definitely identify with the character. I’m for ever drifting off into imaginary worlds.
Thanks for another wonderful story, Fuji. With your way of describing the situation and the photographer’s thoughts, it is possible to imagine that his dedication goes as far as you suggest. At first, I thought that he would be a future ice man, an Ötsi, who would be found in 5,000 years with his camera and pictures intact. But luckily, as you explain, his pictures are sent to iCloud, where they can… Read more »
What a great device. Click upload. Very effective! And the ending was unexpected. Lovely piece of work Fuji!
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you David, for reading and for commenting. I am totally in awe of the magnificent Snow Leopard and pray that he will not become extinct!
The animal being photographed sounds like a beautiful animal. I really liked the repetition. It gave a great effect to the story. Well done Fuji!
Thank you so much, Daisy. I’m glad you enjoyed the story.
Comments without a personalized avatar will not be published.
To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with Google