The clearing is exactly right. Golden light filters through the canopy, dew still clinging to the grass, shadows soft and unhurried. You raise the camera, hold your breath, and shoot. Perfect. You know it before you even check the screen. But lowering the camera feels like exhaling into an empty room. A comment on your last post is still rattling around your head: *'Your photos are gorgeous but they're always empty. No people, no warmth. Why?'* You don't have an answer. You're still searching for one when a branch snaps at the edge of the trees - and someone steps right into your frame.