Unexpected dog on bridge

I noticed a picture of U Bein Bridge with a monk silhouetted by the setting sun, so I decided to look again at my holiday pics. Although I also had monks, I discovered a dog strolling in the sunset.

When I took the photo from a boat, I was concentrating on focus, composition and light. In some ways, I was not too concerned about details as I knew there were plenty of similar pictures on the internet and as I don't have a big zoom lens I was more concerned with keeping out of the way of my companions - not rocking either the metaphorical or the real boat. Although it was lovely to be out on the lake at sunset, I didn't expect to find the photos of the wooden bridge interesting so although I learned a bit more about taking pictures - on this occasion Hamish advised adding a little warmth to the settings - it was mainly about having fun.

During this photography tour, I continued to develop ways to cope with my cautious approach to taking pictures of people but I used animals and other tourists as a diversion from what usually feels strange and strained.  At times, being in a group where everybody else seems to be zooming in on portraits made me feel out of sync, though I did not let that worry me unduly.  Being in a group taking pictures of a bridge was a bit of a relief. As everybody else in the group seemed to be using zoom lenses, I was particularly touched when Hamish took time to give me advice, feeling that the others had more possibilities with their gear.

I had made a small collection of photos with dogs and other animals, but missed this picture until I started to look more closely at the detail.  Perhaps a zoom lens would have made the photo better, but then I might have missed the moment completely. The unexpected dog is not in itself a memorable moment, but a bonus find.