I set out before dawn, hoping to photograph the full moon setting over the Holyoke Range. I knew the moon would dip behind the ridge just as the first sunlight touched the mountain tops, but clouds moved in and obscured the view. I pivoted and drove to Moody Bridge Road, where I knew this tree stood in a good position for the sunrise. As I stepped out to take a few frames, a patch of golden fiddlehead ferns caught my eye just west of the road. Their yellow-green fronds glowed against the cool-toned grass while the sky behind them erupted in fiery color—streaks of orange, purple, and magenta sweeping above the silhouetted tree. It wasn't the scene I had planned for, but it was worth the lack of sleep and difficult pre-coffee decision-making.

Additional sizes and print surfaces are available on request.