Even inclement weather can be a boon for the patient photographer and this shot came into being as a result of just such conditions and patience.

I had arrived in Tullah, in the center of the state, 48 hours earlier and had been driving in the rain, scouting for shots, for most of the waking hours in those 48 - but without success. At about 09:00 I spotted a possible break in the clouds and a hint of blue coming in from the North, an observation which coincided with my finding the bridge from which this shot was taken.  

I set up the tripod on the bridge at the side of the road and marveled at the wonderful reflection coming, albeit rather dully, off the surface of the water. Then the sun broke through the clouds, they parted and blue skies and sunshine poured into the scene switching on the reflection and lighting up the trees and hillsides.

I took six panoramas of this scene before settling on this one in post-production. The shot is the second of a five shot series from my trip entitled "The Elements" and represents the second element, Air.

This image is one of my personal favorites - the sun coming through the mists above the trees, the distant cliffs, the subtle lens flare, the amazing reflection and the mystery of the the bend in the river all combine to make it so.

Data from all sources pointed to another 24 hours of rain in the hills around Tullah. Despite the dire predictions I went out searching for a shot and was rewarded with a 20 minute break in the clouds and a moment of relative stillness.

This is what I call “planning by driving around” as without being out and about you're never in a position to take advantage of that special moment.