Broken Clouds

For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right,
since its appearance changes at every moment;
but the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life –
the light and the air which vary continually.
For me, it is only the surrounding atmosphere which gives subjects their true value

– Claude Monet
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This was one of those times when you stand, looking in awe and forget to take the photo. Just one minute before, the sky was completely overcast with sun rays just peeking out here and there. I actually pulled the truck over to try to get one of those rays racing across the distant field. I missed it while trying to get my telephoto out of the bag.

I was getting back in the truck when I decided to get a couple wide shots, just because. The sun broke through as I was taking the second shot… totally overexposed, blown out center… and then I just stood there and watched the sun go back into the clouds. I didn’t take another exposure, I looked around me at the empty expanse of fields… no one else in the entire world was at this same spot at this same moment… and then the sun was gone.

This probably would have been a deleted shot, but I adjusted the exposure in Light Room, and while it’s still blown out, I like it and I’ll keep it.

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Canon EOS 5D
Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM