Sometimes in life and with photography, things don't go exactly as planned. I traveled to Grand Teton National Park during summer after having spent several autumns there. In the fall, you have clouds, dramatic skies, and snow mixed with brilliant fall color. In summer, you can often go a week without clouds at sunrise. Storms roll around in the afternoon but the mornings are often clear. I found myself sitting in this incredible setting and realized that my first reaction was disappointment that there were no clouds in the sky. As I sat there quietly with only a couple of other photographers on this morning, a newfound clarity entered my mind. I was sitting at one of my favorite locations in the world pre-dawn in the peace and quiet of nature. How could I possibly be anything less than enthralled with these mountains that I love?
Just as everywhere else in life, we have choices to make on how we look at things. I became incredibly grateful for another morning in my favorite park. I decided to just be present in the moment and enjoy the sun rising on my favorite mountains. As the sun slowly rose, a light pastel sky appeared with beautiful light slowly making its way down the Tetons. I was enthralled once again by how each day brings it own beauty and how magical this morning was. I will never forget that morning and the choice I made to enjoy it before the sun appeared, and what beauty I was rewarded with on that day, even without the clouds. Ever since then, I have chosen this way of thinking more and more in my life. I also realized that this clean crisp reflection sometimes gets distracting with clouds and that this morning was actually one of the most beautiful times at this location that I have ever experienced.
