Unexpected Image

I have been working on shooting several specific images for a book project on the Sierra this past year.  As a result I have been keeping track of the when and where the moon will be over specific peaks in the range.  Having been skunked before at Mt. Whitney, I planned a trip with a photographer friend this past week hoping to capture the moon setting over Whitney.  After spending a cold night sleeping under the stars we headed to our pre-scouted location and finally nailed a book worthy Whitney image.



Knowing the Whitney image was in the bag and with a couple days left we decided to try out some other locations on the East Side that were less of a guarantee.  

I find that I spend far more energy scouting and researching locations than I actually spend shooting, but sometimes you have to be willing to throw out your well laid plans if the conditions call for it. 

In the case of this B&W image we scouted the location before dinner, and I went to bed knowing my shot was a horizontal reflection with trees framing the peaks.  After getting frustrated when my horizontal pre-planned image wasn't working out, I gave up and started exploring the cottonwoods on the other side of the pond.  It wasn't till a cloud blocked the sun on the Sierras that I really started seeing my composition.  I quickly rushed back around the pond and shot three frames while the trees were lit, and the background was shadowed.   

I have several other strong images from the session after the clouds cleared, but I just couldn't get away from the drama of light in this one.  I started working the file in my normal color style, but was left unsatisfied.  It wasn't till I was asked for a possible B&W Sierra cover images by a magazine that I began exploring it as a B&W.  As soon as I converted it to B&W I saw the drama of light that the color image was missing.  So I guess the lesson I will take from this is to look at the world as both color and black and white, and not be so hung up on my "style".