Waiting for the Fog to Lift

The alarm went off at 4:30 for the third morning in a row. Outside, the rain had softened to a fine mist, the kind that makes everything look like a watercolour. I packed the tripod, a flask of coffee, and very low expectations.

The first two mornings

On the first morning the cloud never lifted. On the second, it lifted for exactly ninety seconds — just enough to see what I was missing, and not enough to set up a composition.

The best photographs are the ones you have to wait for.

The third morning

By the third day I knew every rock on the trail. I set up early, framed the road curving into the valley, and waited. At 6:12 the light broke through.

I made eleven frames before the cloud rolled back in. One of them is now my favourite photograph of the year.

What I learned

• Scout in bad weather so you're ready for good weather.
• Leave the car keys in the same pocket every time (trust me).
• The forecast is a suggestion, not a promise.

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If you're planning a trip to a place like this, give yourself at least three days. The landscape decides when you get the shot — not you.