An artist friend and I were talking several years ago about how we view the natural world around us. I concluded that he could look at a cloud formation at sunset and see beautiful and colorful images that he could transform to canvas. I could look at that same cloud formation and see clouds.
By the same token, I think if I had been at Lake Natoma last May, I would have looked out and seen a bunch of kids rowing a boat. Bee photographer José Luis Villegas, on the other hand, looked out and saw something quite different.
The eight-woman Michigan varsity crew completely in sync as their oars gently disturb the stillness of the lake. The white tents against a lush green background and a cloud-dotted blue sky. People lining the shore, enjoying the outdoors. A perfect tableau, perfectly framed.
I probably know less about photography than anyone who ever darkened a newsroom. But I think I know a good photo when I see one, and José produced not only a good photo but a work of art. It seemed to my wife and me to capture the essence of what is special about Sacramento.
It is one of the few things we've actually clipped out of the newspaper this year. We keep it on our desk, and just glancing at it from time to time invokes a sense of calm and a pride of place that make living here so desirable.
A great picture does not a championship make, however. The Michigan team finished 13th among the Division I entries. Brown University won the title, narrowly beating out California and Stanford.
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William Endicott is a former deputy managing editor of The Bee.
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