Pivoting is an essential skill in Landscape Photography

I set out before dawn, hoping to photograph the full moon over the Holyoke Range. I had tracked the timing and alignment so the moon would dip behind the ridge just as sunlight touched the valley. But as I drove to my location and the dark sky began to brighten, I realized the moon was hidden behind a wall of clouds. My plan had fallen apart. After all the research and anticipation, it was disappointing—but that's part of photographing the full moon in New England. These moments continue to teach me that landscape photography requires as much flexibility as it does preparation.

Instead of heading home, I thought about where to take advantage of the sky's emerging colors. I knew the tree on Moody Bridge Road lined up well with the sunrise, so I drove there and took a few frames. I noticed a small patch of fiddlehead ferns just to the west. Their yellow-green fronds glowed against the cool-toned grass in the mid-ground. This wasn't the image I crawled out of bed at 4:45 am for, but it felt just as alive—unplanned, unexpected, and entirely worth staying for. Pivoting is part of the craft. To do it well, you must know the landscape deeply enough to adapt when your plans fall through.