Violet daggry
Category: 20 Mountains
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
There are many iconic places to shoot at the Grand Teton, but what I wanted was something completely different. In order to capture the true spirit of a place I need to spend a few weeks to absorb and observe, and it always pays off. I was exploring this area and fell in love with the old style fences–they have so much style, character and strength. When I discovered this location, I knew it was the shot I had been searching for, with the classic fence providing a powerful leading line into the scene. I set the alarm for an early start and arrived before sunrise. A layer of fog hung suspended between the river and mountains and a heavy overnight frost coated the valley floor and fence with white crystals–it was absolutely stunning. The conditions were arctic as the sky glowed pre-dawn, and for one moment everything felt just right as I pressed the shutter. The sun rose and illuminated the mountains and I took another series of shots but they turned out very contrasting. In the end it was the first image with the moody, soft lighting that I chose for my gallery walls.
