(This blog post first appeared on December 13, 2011)

“I came across an Egret Rookery in a park in the center of New Orleans. Large numbers of these prehistoric looking birds were nesting predominantly in a single tree along a small waterway with a running path nearby. As park goers largely came and went without so much as taking notice, I was mesmerized by the spectacle taking place before me. Egrets nesting and perched in the tree just a short distance away would spread their large wings and leave the nesting tree.  It seemed as if, for each bird that was leaving the tree, another was returning. Some would go to feed in the water way while others would return with twigs for the nest. Those perched in the tree along-side of their nests would often have tail feather fluttering in the breeze. The scene was hypnotic and I found myself lost in the moment watching the scene and making photographs of this special time and place. How far removed I was, just a short trolley ride away, from the infamous, never ending party on Bourbon Street.”

This artist statement and 12 photographs from my Egret Rookery portfolio will appear in the book Portfolio Showcase Volume 5, a book that was juried by Chris Pichler, the founder and publisher of Nazraeli Press, which “publishes books specializing in contemporary photography.”

The experience of photographing at this rookery got me thinking about the experience of being mesmerized. In the sense of the experience being expressed here, being mesmerized was a positive experience of being lost in the moment while taking in the dreamlike grace of such interesting birds interacting with each other as they came and went and engaged in the activities associated with nesting.

Have you had a positive experience of being mesmerized while engaged in a photographic session? If so, tell us about it.