Kodak Moment

We all know this term, "Kodak moment".

Kodak just recently celebrated their 125th anniversary, and this is reason for Inspiration Avenue to feature the Kodak moment this week. The Urban Dictionary describes a Kodak Moment  as "a rare, one time, moment that is captured by a picture, or should have been captured by a picture."

For me personally, the Kodak moment still goes a little bit deeper. While what is said above is true to me as well, I also feel a Kodak moment touches my heart, creates some kind of connection. It is more than just a picture, a snapshot. It is something that is deeply connected with me, with my deepest inner feelings, perhaps with my soul.

This connection, the touching of what lies within me, makes this photo my all-time favorite.

It was taken in the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum near Tucson a few winters ago. Other than at our first visit, the cougars (or mountain lions) weren't sleeping on their rock, but were quite active that afternoon. Since I have a real weakness for them, I stayed there for a long time, observing them. I eventually figured out that they probably were mother and daughter, but of course I am not sure. I was fascinated by them.

At one time, this cougar went up to her rock and lay down. I thought she was going to sleep, but instead she just watched us. Just staring at us. Many people left by that time (it wasn't interesting enough, I think, no more action), but I stayed, looking back at her. She didn't look away which I had initially thought she would do. We just looked at each other, I was probably muttering something silly like "aren't you a beauty" etc. Anyway, this was the moment when I also started to take pictures of her, and this is the one that shows that moment in the truest way. When I look at it I still feel this, though brief, connection with this wild animal who probably never had seen the wild in her life. I felt my heart going out to her, I imagined to see a tiny sliver of her soul in her eyes.

It was my Kodak moment.