It rained for a couple of days before, leaving a thick cloud cover. I had hoped the clouds would make for an interesting sunrise, but it didn’t pan out that way. The cloud ceiling was very low, and as the sun rose, you could only see a thin line of orange on the horizon with dark blue and purplish clouds blocking all other sunlight.

As is often the case on a photo trek, the subject I thought I would be photographing wasn’t the best shot. I had planned to capture a hillside rising above the sea on the other side of the bay, but after an initial look upon arrival, I knew that was never going to be the shot. However, as that thin line of orange horizon grew brighter, I saw a lady walking with her dog on top of the sea wall with the open ocean on the other side and about to walk right into my camera’s field of view.

After & Before the Edit

It ended up being the best composition of the day; but it still had its problems. There were all sorts of detritus creating distractions throughout the image—other people walking on a lower sidewalk, crab pot buoys floating in the water, an odd life vest hanging on a pole, and a random white box sitting on the sidewalk. So, using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, I carefully removed all these tiny distractions. This brings up an important question: how far is too far when editing photographs?

Photographers have been editing their photos since the earliest days of the art. In the darkroom, we would used techniques like dodging and burning to manually edit their photos. Ansel Adams, a master of darkroom techniques, famously said,

“Dodging and burning are steps to take care of mistakes God made in establishing tonal relationships.” ^[1]

As long as a photographer is transparent about their artistic process, who are we to discourage them from executing their art? Photography is not just about capturing reality; it’s about conveying an artistic vision. Editing is a tool that helps bring that vision to life, allowing photographers to present their work as they envision it. In the end, the artistic integrity of a photo lies in the honesty of the photographer about their methods and intentions.

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Unfortunately, my family isn’t as enthusiastic about waiting around while I have an intimate moment with my tripod.

The non-photographers in the travel group, which is everyone but me, are always ready to move to the next point of interest just as I’m beginning to get a feel for the vista before me. If only my camera were capable of magic, snapping perfect shots at the speed of light.

What’s a photographer to do? I wish I had a real answer. In some cases, if I know that I’m going to be able to make it back, I will treat the family outing as a scouting trip, jotting down notes of locations and compositions to try upon my return.

However, sometimes this may be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, and in those cases, there are few options other than risk annoying your family as they wait and twiddle their thumbs back at the car while you endlessly plod around the countryside looking for the perfect photograph.

Photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson once said,

“Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing, and when they have vanished, there is no contrivance on Earth which can make them come back again.” ^[1]

This quote beautifully encapsulates the photographer’s perspective and the challenge we face when balancing our passion with the impatience of non-photographers. My family might argue that the only thing vanishing is their patience.

Learning to walk the tightrope of chasing the perfect photograph while keeping your family happy is an art in itself. Sometimes, it means accepting that you can’t capture every moment as you’d like. Other times, it involves finding creative ways to incorporate quick snapshots into the family itinerary or negotiating a few extra minutes at particularly scenic spots. Ultimately, it’s about understanding and appreciating both your passion and your family’s desire to enjoy the journey without constant interruptions. So, while I may dream of endless golden hours, I’ve learned that sometimes the best shots are the ones you take quickly, just before your loved ones stage a coup.

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When I plan photo treks, I start with tools like the Photographer’s Ephemeris, which allows me to plot the best location based on the direction of the sun for the time of day I’ll be on site. When the subject is a famous location, I like to do a quick search to see images others are posting. This helps me avoid replicating compositions that thousands of others have already taken, allowing me to find a unique angle.

For this adventure, I set my sights on Cathedral Rock in Sedona. Most photos I found online were taken from the south, looking north as the sunrise illuminates the rock formations. To capture something different, I decided to hike in from the north, hoping to photograph the rock formation with the sun rising between the rocks.

After a nearly two-hour drive, I arrived about 45 minutes before sunrise, giving me plenty of time to make the 30-minute hike to my target location and set up for the shot. The brisk 25°F temperature kept me moving at a steady pace, warming me as I hiked.

Once I reached the general area, I scouted for the best angle for my composition. Knowing I would be shooting directly into the sun, I planned a composite shot. I first took images of the rock formation in complete silhouette before the sun was in the perfect position. These would serve as a mask in Photoshop. Then, I captured several shots exposing for the rock formation and the frames exposing for the sunrise.

In the end, the sky didn’t yield the most breathtaking results, and the sun never quite appeared between the rocks where I hoped it might, but it was still one of the most beautiful mornings I have experienced on a photo trek. The location I chose was perfect—secluded and quiet. I didn’t see another person until an hour or so after sunrise. I had all of Cathedral Rock to myself.

Ansel Adams once said,

“Sometimes I do get to places just when God’s ready to have somebody click the shutter.” ^[1]

For me, this is the essence of being alone in nature, finding the perfect moment to capture its beauty. Being in nature, surrounded by nothing but the vast landscape, allows you to connect deeply with your surroundings and find value in the solitude. This experience at Cathedral Rock confirmed for me the importance of preparation, patience, and being present in the resulting tranquility.

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Being a last minute addition to the trip, I did not have time to use my usual tools like Google Street View or the Photographer’s Ephemeris to plan the shot. As soon as I walked onto the beach, I was struck by the potential of the scene. The stark contrast between the dead and living trees, combined with the open ocean in the background, had all the elements of a compelling composition. However, we were there at midday, with the sun bright and harsh, and I had limited time to find the perfect angle.

As a travel photographer, flexibility is crucial. You must constantly look through the camera’s viewfinder, if not literally then metaphorically, seeking the best composition and snapping pix as you go. Sometimes, what doesn’t seem like the perfect shot in the moment can turn out to be a hidden gem when you review and edit your photos later.

This opportunity was no exception. I kept moving along the beach, analyzing the scene and triangulating where I thought the best location would be to get the shot.

Shot that did not make the cut.

I took several photos from different angles which didn’t quite capture the essence I was looking for. As I moved and adjusted, I quickly found the spot from which to shoot. I then spent a few seconds fine-tuning the composition, aligning the elements to create a balanced and engaging image.

The final shot (at the top of this post), with its interplay of the sky’s negative space, the water’s reflections, the surrounding trees in silhouette and of course the focal point of the fallen dead tree, encapsulates the scene’s natural beauty and my love of contrasting subjects.

One of my favorite photographer’s, Steve McCurry once said,

That’s really the big challenge—finding the right picture and trying to craft the picture out of a situation which is fluid and in motion, and grab that moment. All these elements swirl around in your brain. It’s an instinct. You’re not really thinking. It’s more from your heart” ^[1].

This resonates with the experience I had on that beach in the Philippines. Luck favors the prepared, but being prepared goes beyond location scouting. It also means understanding your own composition process and being ready to adapt and capture the unexpected moments that come your way in order to express your creative spirit.

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41 shots in 44 seconds

However, about 15 minutes after the sunrise, I noticed a small sandpiper hunting for its breakfast in the shallow surf. The bird stood in the direct reflection of the sun on the wet sand, creating a captivating scene. Over the next 30 seconds, I took 41 photos of the sandpiper as it moved back and forth. The high tide was coming in, and the surf was choppy with mist blowing off the waves, adding a dynamic element to the composition.

As I continued shooting, my plan began to develop. I aimed to create a three-part composition featuring the sun, a crashing wave with mist in the middle, and the sandpiper at the bottom. After the bird flew away, I wasn’t sure if I had captured anything worthwhile. It wasn’t until I reviewed the photos a day or two later that I realized the 34th image perfectly encapsulated what I was looking for.

This experience underscores the importance of perseverance in photography. Even when conditions aren’t ideal, keep shooting and composing. Sometimes, the most unexpected moments yield the best results. Dewitt Jones, a former National Geographic photographer, said it best,

“The difference between a good frame and a great frame is measured in millimeters not miles”​​​​.^[1]

This quote reminds us that small adjustments and a keen eye for detail can make all the difference in capturing that perfect shot.

Even when things don’t go as planned, keep your camera ready, be open to the unexpected and persevere. Great photos often come from the moments you least anticipate. As a photographer, understanding your own composition process and being adaptable can turn a seemingly ordinary scene into something extraordinary. By focusing on the details and making those small adjustments, you can transform a lousy day into a good photo.

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I had scoped the location, a pedestrian sidewalk on a bridge overlooking the river, before the trip. I used some software to calculate the time a direction of the sun as well as Google Street View to get a feel for the compositions we could expect. But the pre-dawn morning was shrouded in an overcast sky, and I wasn’t entirely sure we would have much success.

The heavy humidity created a thick fog on the river, and as we began to set up on the bridge, I could see it rising and evaporating. My nephew, eager to capture the moment, was using one of my cameras, experimenting with different angles and settings. It was a joy to watch him discover the art of photography, even as I kept an eye on the shifting light and weather conditions.

As the sun began to peak over the mountains on the horizon, the skies started to clear. I was pleasantly surprised to see the sky begin to fill with beautiful colors while the fog on the river added a mystical quality to the scene. With my camera on my Manfrotto tripod, I zoomed to 32mm using my 24-70mm lens to frame the shot. I wanted a long exposure for this particular scene and ended up using a 6-second exposure at f/22 to capture the ethereal quality of the morning light and the movement of the fog.

My nephew watched intently, asking questions about why I chose certain settings and what I was looking for in the scene. It was a teaching moment, not just about photography, but about observation and the patience required to capture a fleeting moment.

In the end, the photo we captured that morning was a testament to the beauty of nature and the importance of being prepared and patient. As Ansel Adams once said,

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”

This experience reinforced the idea that great photography is not just about being in the right place at the right time, but also about having a vision, planning carefully, and waiting for the perfect moment to unfold.

That morning on the Youghiogheny River was a perfect example of this, and it was made even more special by sharing the experience with my nephew.

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A family member received a motorized, adjustable-height desk frame and asked if I could make a desktop similar to the cutting boards I gifted everyone at Christmas.

I started by narrowing the wood selection process down using a PhotoShop mockup. We played around with a variety of woods and the order & size of the wood strips until we finally landed on the combo they liked:

• Walnut
• Wenge
• Zebrawood
• Purpleheart
• Curly Maple

We then went to CP Johnson Lumber to get the wood. They had everything except the Wenge. So we stopped by The Fredericksburg Workshop to see if they had any – no dice.

There is a shortage on Wenge as it is an endangered species because of over-exploitation and reduction of habitat; on top of that, the COVID-19 World-wide lockdown has essentially stopped production and shipping.

But we were able to find someone on Craigslist that was selling about 20 board feet of Wenge at a fair price, so we picked that up (and I now have plenty of Wenge for future projects).

I glued the strips of exotic wood in three sections in order to fit my 13-inch planer. I then glued those three sections together using a biscuit joiner for alignment.

For a final planing, I constructed a router sled and used a 2-inch planing bit to level everything before sanding and finishing with a water-based polyurethane.

I then installed threaded brass inserts to mount the top to the Jarvis Adjustable-height desk frame.

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A family member was interested in gift for their spouse, a police officer, to securely store their service weapons while off-duty. They liked the idea of a floating shelf so I worked on a design that would not make it obvious that the unit also contained a drawer.

Originally, I thought I would use a magnetic lock, but the only mag-locks I could find were made of plastic. So I found an RFID lock that used more metal in its fabrication. It’s bolted inside the drawer and has a hidden electrical plug that can be used to gain access should the batteries die.

The shelf/drawer is made of 1/4″ ash with walnut trim. It is glued together with mortise and tenon joints while the edges meet at a 45º angle for a clean look.

The drawer mounts on 10 inch soft-close ball bearing drawer slides that have a 100-pound load capacity.

A friend made a custom U-bracket that installs inside the top shelf to give extra support and security when it mounts to the wall.

They told me they preferred a simple finish that would not hide the wood grain. So I used a basic clear lacquer base with a wax paste finish. It gave the shelf/drawer an antique feel that added character to its look.

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