It is very rare to know that you have captured a perfect image as soon as the shutter is pressed.  It has happened to me on a few occasions over the years – once on this very same causeway and for which I received a Best of Show award.  On this particular outing, I remember watching the clouds build and break through the day only to build once more as the sun was ready to set.  As per my usual routine, I put on the puppy dog eyes and was permitted to run out to shoot while my wife (the now self-described ‘sunset widow’) put the kids to bed.

I drove straight toward the causeway as the clouds seem to be building over the harbor.  I parked on the first street on Marblehead Neck and then headed back to the end of the causeway to shoot the boats filling Marblehead harbor with great clouds overhead.  When I had exhausted all angles, I turned and saw this incredible cloud forming over the Atlantic Ocean.  I recomposed and waited for a few cars to pass before starting to shoot.

Then it happened, a woman started to run towards me on the opposite side of the causeway.  The sun was behind her throwing long shadows before her and, miraculously, the causeway was momentarily clear of any cars.  The wind had picked up just a bit and brought life to the American flags on each of the lamp posts.  I clicked the shutter and froze this perfect moment in time.

The decision to process this in black and white was easy.  Finding the woman in the photo proved just a bit harder but thanks to All Marblehead, I was able to track her down in a matter of 48 hours to share this image (and soon a free print) with her.

As for the title, I grew up a child of the 80’s and U2 was the anthem of my youth.  Joshua Tree was the pinnacle of their songwriting and this song ‘Running to Stand Still’ is one of my favorites on the album.  I played this song while processing the image and again while writing this post.  The underlying meaning and background doesn’t fit but these words sure do:

She runs through the streets

With her eyes painted red

Under black belly of cloud in the rain

In through a doorway she brings me

White gold and pearls stolen from the sea

She is raging

She is raging

And the storm blows up in her eyes

She will…

I found the cover version below on Soundcloud.  I am not a fan of music on posts as a rule but had to break that rule just this once…