“The play of light on the water was a sight to behold. In the background, dark storm clouds loomed over the lake, yet bright rays of sunlight on the storm’s edge caught the rolling waves and lit them up as if from within. But only for a moment, then it was gone, and darkness prevailed” – Ed Lehming

It’s moments like this that photographers dream of. The stunning contrast between the dark blue sky and the bright waves was astounding; a rare moment when the elements align. For much of the time that I was visiting this location, the start of the show was the churning lake. I got a few good shots of this, but suddenly the world before me turned to pure magic. It was like two separate worlds in one image.

I had no problem whatsoever naming this image; the wave was the most amazing bright green. Against the black sky, it was stunning. My biggest challenge was exposing the shot correctly. It took only two tries to get this image, and then the sun was gone again.

That is one thing that I’m constantly reminded of: great moments are fleeting, and it’s so critically important that the photographer is prepared to adapt and adjust instinctively. All those settings we need to consider: shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and focus must happen within seconds; there is no time to think about them without hesitation. I honestly attribute this ‘muscle memory’ to the countless failures that I’ve had—all those missed opportunities—that have taught me how to adapt to varying conditions because there are no second chances.

Nikon D800
Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G I AF-S VR Zoom @ 260 mm
1/500 sec, f/11, ISO 400