Break in the storm
At the end of a long day of shooting on the Central Coast of California, I was heading back to my family's farm in Santa Ynez Valley when the long shadows everywhere reminded me that the sun would be gone soon.
I exited the highway as quickly as possible and found a side road to explore for my golden hour subject. Unbeknownst to me, the road I chose was peppered by power lines due to a nearby power station and I was having trouble finding anything to shoot anywhere that was where I could safely pull off the road without trespassing. I was discouraged and turned the car around to head home, when I saw this tree. Suddenly it wasn't golden hour that I pursued, but the way the storm clouds contrasted against the silhouette of this amazing tree.
Life reminds us sometimes that if we remain open to possibility, we may yet have a desirable outcome where none was evident before.