Grand Teton National Park is awe-inspiring to say the least. The mountain range and scenic vistas present endless photographic opportunities for someone heading that way with a camera in hand. Just a week or so ago I made my first trip up the this great area. It wasn’t a photography trip and more to spend time with family enjoying the great outdoors, but I just couldn’t resist the opportunities that were laid out before me.
Due to nearby wildfires, the views were typically glazed over with a haze from the drifting smoke. That sadly obscured some of the clear views I was hoping to see. However, while driving around late one afternoon, the typical late summer thunderstorms began to form off in the horizon. The rains slowly started and the wind picked up enough to clear out a bit of that smoke. I just so happened to be near the Snake River Overlook fly fishing the Snake River when the lightning started. That ended the quick fishing excursion, but being so close to one of the most photographed areas in the country, I had to make a quick stop. This was more a mini scouting stop for sunrise the next morning, but it turned out well.
I stepped out to the landing of the Snake River Overlook and saw the clouds continue to roll in. The rain had stopped where I was, but off in the distance you could see the tell-tale streaks of water coming down over the Teton Mountain Range. Adding to that was the evening light as the sun began its decent to the horizon.
The camera was quickly snatched from its bag and I ran out to snap maybe half a dozen photos of the scene before me. I could see how this one turned out in my mine as I took the photographs. It was definitely a scene for a monochrome image. Just then the rains started and the scene was quickly obscured by the the surrounding rain clouds. It was gone in the blink of an eye.
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After returning home from this trip with far too many “keeper” images, I processed this one first. It was a quick blend of two images; one for the sky and mountains, and another for the foreground elements. I darkened it up a bit in the foreground to help add to the drama that was in the sky and it turned out very pleasing.
[gn_note color=”#e4f1f2″]Photo Tip: Don’t be too quick to put your camera away if the scene or situation doesn’t seem perfect. You can always be presented with split-second photographic opportunities and by keeping your camera handy, you’ll be able to capture that moment.[/gn_note]
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