Photographer or not, we’ve all seen that killer sunrise or sunset. That puts the challenge on us to take our sunrise / sunset beyond the common to the uncommon. One real simple and effective way to do that is place an element(s) in that color to make the viewer stop and look. In this case, it’s a big flock of Snow Geese lifting off a pond at Bosque del Apache. You can then up this simple idea by having some pattern, symmetry to the elements you have in the frame. And in this case, shooting with the 800mm lens, I was able to isolate the most intense portion of the color with the geese. That’s just adding another layer to added somethin with the color.

The alarm went off at 01:45 and the clock announced the outside temp was 8 degrees. I had setup the rig, Z 9 / 800f5.6AFS, the night before so all I had to do was step out on the deck and photograph the Blood Moon, the total eclipse. I could see the moonlight outside so I was delighted. I stepped out and looked up to see the clouds ripping by. I looked at the time, I had ten minutes until the eclipse would start. As the time got closer the clouds got thicker and thicker. Then the eclipse started and what you see is what I saw. I few minutes later, I could no longer see the shadow of the earth as the moon became just a glow behind the clouds. I decided to stay up until 03:16 when totality was supposed to occur. I bundled up at 03:05 and went outside, it was really dark. I was hopeful until I looked up. There wasn’t even a glow from the moon, there were just a huge wall of clouds.

Photography has no guarantees, none! You can own the best gear, have the best technique, be on top of your craft and be in the right place at the right time but that doesn’t mean you’ll come back with the photo you want. It’s at times like this and I have had hundreds of them, I think about those words by James Taylor. “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.” Amen

Yep, this is what the drive to MSO to catch my flight looked like, gorgeous! On my way to Austin, Precision Camera’s Winter Expo … how apropos! This shot from last year in Yellowstone is exactly how it looks right now with winter well underway with the wind blowing. A couple of things to remember working in these conditions. Most importantly, if you don’t know how to drive in these kinds of conditions, this isn’t the time to learn! Next, driving or shooting, give yourself lots, lots of extra time. You want to move slow so you don’t slip or slide and have an accident. Dress warm, head, hands & feet and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and warm. Lastly, have a ton of fun cause it’s snow baby … snow!