Last Rays Of The Fisherman

This picture was all about patience.  I learned about 2 weeks ago I'd be headed to the east coast for a meeting, so I began planning.  The weather looked like it might be ok so I could go walk around, so I looked at a map and studied it for bodies of water that might be suitable.  Then I eliminated the ones that were positioned incorrectly for the setting sun and chose the best two spots.  Just before I boarded the plane, I checked the weather again to find that it was now supposed to be raining and completely cloudy, thus potentially ruining my whole reason for packing the camera.  But I hoped and hopped into the plane.  Sure enough, wandering around one choice the first night brought me only a bunch of water on my head and no pretty skies.  The second night wasn't any better (but my meetings lasted until after sunset anyway).  But the third night looked like it might be better.  So I crossed my fingers and jumped in the car after the meetings were over and sprinted to the lake in the picture.  I tested my patience as the rays of the sun lit up my windshield and the skies in front of me just as the clouds broke.  I was tempted to stop right there and start shooting the clouds and the trees, but I told myself to go onward to the lake.  Finally arriving at the lake, I sprinted around the edge of it to my chosen spot trying to race the setting sun.  And my luck held out, for the clouds broke quite well on the horizon and gave off a color display that made all of my planning worth while.  (Even then my patience was tested further, for I was now about 7 hours from having to wake up to head to the airport for my plane trip home and I had no time to even take the pictures out of the camera.  Some days it's really really hard to make the decision of "process pictures, or sleep".  But, it's important to look at pictures with fresh eyes and not weary ones.)

Last Rays Of The Fisherman

This picture was all about patience.  I learned about 2 weeks ago I'd be headed to the east coast for a meeting, so I began planning.  The weather looked like it might be ok so I could go walk around, so I looked at a map and studied it for bodies of water that might be suitable.  Then I eliminated the ones that were positioned incorrectly for the setting sun and chose the best two spots.  Just before I boarded the plane, I checked the weather again to find that it was now supposed to be raining and completely cloudy, thus potentially ruining my whole reason for packing the camera.  But I hoped and hopped into the plane.  Sure enough, wandering around one choice the first night brought me only a bunch of water on my head and no pretty skies.  The second night wasn't any better (but my meetings lasted until after sunset anyway).  But the third night looked like it might be better.  So I crossed my fingers and jumped in the car after the meetings were over and sprinted to the lake in the picture.  I tested my patience as the rays of the sun lit up my windshield and the skies in front of me just as the clouds broke.  I was tempted to stop right there and start shooting the clouds and the trees, but I told myself to go onward to the lake.  Finally arriving at the lake, I sprinted around the edge of it to my chosen spot trying to race the setting sun.  And my luck held out, for the clouds broke quite well on the horizon and gave off a color display that made all of my planning worth while.  (Even then my patience was tested further, for I was now about 7 hours from having to wake up to head to the airport for my plane trip home and I had no time to even take the pictures out of the camera.  Some days it's really really hard to make the decision of "process pictures, or sleep".  But, it's important to look at pictures with fresh eyes and not weary ones.)