Morning Rest
This shot was originally taken in the middle of October 2021 on an early morning. I was chasing a shot overlooking the cradle of forestry here in WNC, and while this is a perfect shot of the cradle from above for my purposes, it wasn’t the shot I thought I wanted. Thermal inversion, clouds trapped within a bowl of mountains, scattered clouds in the sky, thin and wispy. I was unhappy with the shots I took during the shoot, I just couldn’t see the composition. All the elements laid bare before more just over the edge of the mountain, and I couldn’t see the shot in the moment. I took to looking through my back catalog in an effort to find those hidden gems, and somehow this particular shot kept calling to me, so at last I see it.
This comes back to a point I’ve made before, keep your shots. Keep them, sit on them, and when you’ve nearly forgotten they are sitting on your hard drive, go back and take a look. This shot is truly multiple elements stacked on top of one another building this scene. It’s complex, and yet simple simultaneously. Chaotic, and organized. The reason I couldn’t see this composition at the time was fatigue. During fall, I spent most every single day out and shooting, hundreds, thousands of photos every day. Searching for material to slap into my blog, photo stream portfolios.
You can get caught up in the idea of a capture or composition, and ignore what’s right in front of you. I wouldn’t have even bothered with this scene that morning had the person riding with me not loved it so much. Photography in many ways allows us to control the outcome of our finished product, but in many… MANY… more ways we are subject to the world at large. Always remember it’s fine to have an idea for your big picture, but keep your eyes open, and make certain you’re not overlooking the obvious.
Until Next Time!
Aperture: f10
ISO: 640
SS: 8secs
Focal: 29mm
Fujinon 16-55mm
