Valerie Mercer, Dredger at Sunset (December theme: The Moment )

This shot was taken in 2012. The golden sunset made a stunning background and the two birds that flew into the frame as I took the photo added to the feeling of freedom captured in the moment. I only had a few minutes of light left to capture this image as the sun was so close to setting. It was taken with a Canon 1100D, and a 18-55mm EF-S kit lens. I made some minor adjustments although I don't remember what they were since it was taken 8 years ago. The ship isn't in focus, but to me that adds a soft ethereal quality to the image. This remains one of my favourites today.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.