I visited my old friend, a stream in Middlesex, last week—one I’ve been to hundreds of times. The water was very low and what was there was filled with fallen leaves—not a promising situation. I decided to walk the length of it anyway and found one part that did, in fact, hold some promise due to the way the water currents move up from below. It turned out to be a real gem.
Maybe I won’t always find such a hidden gem, but if I don’t look, based on first impressions, I will certainly never see it. So much of photography is being prepared and keeping my eyes open, but, honestly, much of it is also serendipity.
Still Learning To See 
Regarding your “Hidden Gem”.. I see a very happy face in the middle of the shot.. Thanks! Nice way to start the day here in France..6 hours earlier than you folks in the eastern states .. I’m wondering if you’d mind sharing what kind of camera you use to capture the water so clearly.. Much appreciated! Good Day!
Thanks so much for your kind words. I use a Pentax K-7 camera and for this image a 55-300 Pentax zoom lens set at 150mm. It was very dark in that area so I was at ISO1600 at 1/80th second and 4.5 aperture. The main things I look for with images like this is the “texture” of the water and what is being reflected in that water. Then I change focus and speed until I have the effect I want.
Brilliant! Thanks :0)