You read this story again and again. The setting may be different but the plot is always the same.
It’s a dreary, overcast day. You had planned this photo session for months, scouting it on Google Earth for the best location, checked the sun position on TPE (The Photographer’s Ephemeris), and received inspiration from the photographs of other photographers. You made travel plans and booked lodging.
You arrived early at the iconic location, having traveled across the country and driven many miles in a rental car to get there. But as you approach the sky turns dark with low hanging, gray clouds. The light is a disappointment but you walk out to a viewpoint and set up anyway. You keep telling yourself that good fortune happens to those who are prepared.
The minutes tick by and the sun, unseen behind a thick cloak of clouds, continues its inexorable decent to the horizon. Other photographers join you and you ask each other, “Will it happen?” Most shrug their shoulders and reply, “It doesn’t look like it will.” It turns chilly and a cold breeze starts blowing. Many photographers mutter, “It’s not going to happen,” pack up their gear and head back to their cars and a warm meal waiting them in the comfort of a nearby restaurant.
Continue reading “Two Minutes of Light”
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