I have a small camera, a Nikon FM2, and two zoom lenses. It’s November, the leaves are changing, and I am hiking with friends in Zion National Park. We started hiking early in the day so there is still frost. Even as the sun climbs in the sky, the canyon remains in shadow. Clouds start to gather in the small arc of sky visible from the canyon floor. It stays cold and the frost lingers.

I have seen this small green plant dotting the way while we hike. It seems impervious to the cold. In fact, it appears to have just sprouted with the onset of cooler temperatures. The big plants all around are changing color, dropping leaves, and fading with the season. The small plant is thriving and hardy.

Frost crystals have settled on tiny hairs protruding from the small plant’s leaves and stems. The plant seems to glow with this added whiteness. I take my camera out and set it on the tripod as close to the plant as the lens will allow. In the viewfinder the small plant holds its own against the colorful leaves, mocking both the season and the big trees. I click the shutter. Small camera takes small picture of small plant.