When subject and serendipity meet, something spectacular can happen. Dick Osgood, formerly of Shorewood, went for a walk one late August afternoon near Tonka Bay City Hall, intending to snap some photographs of lake birds, herons and egrets. What he discovered was a one-shot wonder—a perfectly poised water lily.
“Everything was right,” Osgood says of the natural light, composition and tender flower. “I snapped it!”
It took a singular image to photographically illustrate the water lily, donning a white, layered petal skirt, shiny and soft like crinkled taffeta. Brimming water tension buoys waxy green lily pads, and lake water reflects quiet afternoon light.
Like a long-lost friend, photography reappeared in Osgood’s life about a year ago. When he had last picked up a camera, it was loaded with film. The returning compatriot is decked in digital. “I’m learning a ton,” Osgood says. “It’s a lot of fun.”
The digital format allows for more creativity, and Osgood finds himself taking more artistic risks with the ability to readily edit out pictures. “The eye sees one way, and the camera sees another way,” he says. “I’m playing around with the best of both.”
Osgood, an environmental planner, certified lake manager and author who recently moved to Duluth, is now living along the shores of another picturesque vista—Lake Superior.
