One early summer I was visiting the Grand Teton National Park for Landscape and Wildlife photography.
During my visit I was planning a sunrise photo shoot of the Grand Tetons with the Jackson Lake and Willow Flats in the foreground. I scouted the area the day before and picked a location I wanted to take this picture. The weather forecast was iffy at best for the next morning. When I got up early next morning it was pitch dark and raining. I was determined to go to the location anyway and headed to the car. Observing the weather while I walked to the car, doubts rose in my mind and if I should abandon my plans and go back to bed.
When I arrived at the location it was raining, and my hopes started to dim. It was wet, windy, and overcast. The Tetons looked monochrome and you could see heavy rain circling the mountain. Sometime after I set up my gear dawn started, and I practically gave up hope for any picture taking.
About ten minutes after the scheduled sunrise the dark skies broke up to the east. By the turn of a switch, some sunrays lit up the Willow Flats and the Tetons behind it, creating a spectacular scenic picture. The light changed fast with different areas being lit, making it challenging to establish a correct exposure. I scrambled to adjust the camera settings and started shooting. The “show” was over in less than five minutes, and the scene looked monochrome again. It was time to pack up and have a coffee.
Originally, I was planning to shoot with focus stacking and postprocess the images with Photo Shop’s focus stacking feature. There simply was no time for that and decided to focus my camera on the Willow Flats with Aperture set at f/11. I processed the RAW image with Lightroom, making minor adjustments to brighten up the foreground and slightly strengthening the colors.
The image below depicts the Grand Tetons with the Willow Flats in the foreground, as experienced that morning. I called it my “lucky shot” of my trip. (The image was featured in the OutdoorPhotographer magazine). This experience proofed one more time:
You never know what nature has in store for you.
