Page 37 of Capture the Moment
“Think of the story we could tell our children.” Maisie covered her heart with her hands. “We met and fell in love at a national park.”
Again, Kate had to bite her lower lip until she knew she could respond without laughing. “Still, I think your grandfather might have something to say about you setting your cap for a man who’s a decade or two older than you.”
Maisie looked at her, a puzzled look on her face. “Frankie’s only a few years older than me.”
“Right,” Kate said, cheeks growing warm. “Right. He, um, just seems older for his age.”
“I think so too!” Maisie’s eyes were on Frankie.
Kate turned back to her camera to finish attaching her zoom lens. She took several photographs to get different shots of how the morning light spread over the area, then reviewed the shots to see what needed to be improved.
Watching her, Maisie said, “Why are you taking photographs if the bear isn’t here?”
“All about lighting. There’s a time of day, shortly after sunrise and before sunset, that’s considered a golden hour. Some photographers call it the magic hour. Sunlight is soft, warm, and diffused.”
“Why would it matter in a photograph?”
“Softer sunlight provides more favorable lighting conditions,” Kate said. “It creates long shadows and a golden glow that can enhance the photograph.” She didn’t mind answering serious questions about photography for Maisie. Many people had been patient and helpful when she first showed interest. It felt good to pass along that kindness.
Much too soon, the sun rose in the sky, and photographers started to pack up and leave, one by one.
“Why’s everybody leaving?” Maisie said.
The woman with the gray pigtails, busy packing her gear, caught Maisie’s question. “If that bear hasn’t graced us with her presence by now, chances are she’s taken a rain check for today.”
Maisie’s eyes widened, and she persisted, “But why? How do you know that for sure?”
Kate shared Maisie’s curiosity. It was nice to have a thirteen-year-old ask the questions that she wanted to ask.
“Bears prefer dawn, dusk, and night to do their hunting. Conditions are more ideal for them.” The pigtailed woman cast an eyeroll look in Kate’s direction. “Quite unlike the luxurious lifestyle they lead in a zoo, where they get their meals served on a silver platter ... with a side of predictable routine.” On that snarky note, the woman left.
Maisie turned to Kate. “Why’d she comparethisto a zoo?”
“Because,” Kate replied, beginning to dismantle her camera from the tripod, “she knows most of my experience in photographing wild animals comes from my time at a zoo.”
“SHUT UP,” Maisie said. “That is so cool.”
Kate saw Maisie’s face light with wonder and pride. “It is cool.” Very cool. And she was grateful that someone acknowledged it, even if it came from an overly enthusiastic thirteen-year-old girl who thought everything was cool.
Later that day, Maisie was practically flying on her bike, the wind tangling her curly hair into what her mom would call a bird’s nest. She was on a mission, eyes peeled for Kate somewhere around Jenny Lake Visitor Center. Kate had been vague when Maisie asked her what their afternoon plans were going to be. Oddly vague. But she happened to overhear Kate ask another photographer about a trail that wound around Jenny Lake and led to a fabulous waterfall. Maisie had a hunch that’s where Kate was headed this afternoon. If so, she would need an assistant.
As Maisie swerved into the parking lot at the Jenny Lake Visitor Center, she spotted Kate’s car. Better still, she spotted Kate’s yellow slicker! She was bent over, rummaging through the trunk of her car. “Kate! Hey, Kate!” Maisie skidded to a halt, gravel crunching under her tires like popcorn.
“Whoa!” Kate had to squeeze against her car to avoid getting hit. “Watch out, there!”
“Yeah. My starts and stops on this bike need work.”
Kate adjusted the camera strap on her shoulder. “I thought you’d be with your grandfather this afternoon.”
“No! He’s super busy today. So I thought I’d go looking for you.”
“Oh.” Kate didn’t sound as excited as Maisie thought she’d be.
“I’ll be your assistant,” Maisie blurted out, her words tumbling over each other. “Like, I can hold your equipment. I can even carry it for you.”
Kate’s smile wavered, then fizzled. “That’s a really sweet offer, Maisie, but today I’ve got a specific plan. I’m hiking on the Jenny Lake Loop Trail to head up to Hidden Falls. It’s a bit of a trek, and I’m chasing the light, you know?”
Maisie’s excitement dimmed but only slightly. “But I can keep up! And I won’t get in the way, I promise!”
