"So...how did you get that shot?"

Often I am asked at shows and gatherings how I got a particular photo.  Well the answer is a mix of things.  I do quite a bit of planning before going to an area to photograph.  Checking with various sources on the internet, I find the sunrise and sunset times for areas, check with other photographers for their experiences and information as well as checking with locals whom I have befriended while visiting those locales. I will also check for weather conditions for that time of season, anything that may give me a "leg up" on my ability to at least be in the right place at hopefully the right time.  Once on location I will be looking for the right composition but most importantly the right light.  Light conditions can make or break a good photograph.  Preparation is the key. Conditions, equipment and safety, all play a key role. I have to admit though, with everything listed above in place, serendipity plays a big part.  You never really know when that opportunity will present the "finger print shot" as I call them. Thus generating the question, "how did you get that shot?"  The photo shown here was taken at Oxbow Bend in Grand Tetons National Park. I had done my preparation before the trip from the San Francisco Bay Area and had already gotten some really nice shots. In the afternoon a storm was coming in and I was heading back to Jackson Hole to my hotel when I decided to just stop and "take it all in". I was the only one there. As I ate the last half of my sandwich and what was left of my coffee, I was listening to the ducks splashing in the water with that muted sound and overall silence as the snow was just moments away from falling. All of a sudden a small pinhole opened in the clouds to the west and a bright, almost flashlight like beam, began shinning on the aspen grove across the pond from me. I grabbed my camera and took ten hand held shots and then it was all over. As fast as it came, the light was gone. Literally 3 minutes worth.  I drove back to the hotel in a rather hard snow storm content in just having been to there to see such a wonderful sample of Mother Natures beauty and kindness.
And that's how I got the shot....

I will be posting more such photos and how they were shot in future articles. Comments and questions are always welcomed.

Thanks for visiting!