Last weekend, the weather forecast predicted partly cloudy conditions. Thinking we might have a nice sunset, I headed over to the Washington Monument to shoot the sunset over the Lincoln Memorial. I was greeted with a gorgeous sunset. The clouds were perfect and we had some great color. My photos were only slightly spoiled by construction going on at the World War II Memorial.

Sunset on The Temple

Sunset over the Lincoln Memorial Twilight on The Temple Another day ends

The great 19th century general Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke had a theory of war that is often summed up in his statement "no plan survives contact with the enemy". (Wikipedia, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder (as of February 12, 2013).) I think the theory can also be applied to landscape photography.

They say all great landscape photographers plan out their shots. They visit a location, they visualize the shot they want, and they study the weather, the seasons, and the trajectories of the sun and the moon. I do all of these things as well, but it seems that no matter how hard I try, things never turn out the way I plan. So, I plan, and when things don't turn out, I adapt.

Last Sunday, weather.com predicted partly cloudy conditions at Great Falls. The Photographer's Ephemeris told me where and how the sun would set in relation to the falls. I planned and visualized my shot. I gathered my gear and set out to capture a glorious sunset.

When I arrived at Great Falls, clouds were gathering. Conditions looked good, but when the sun started to set, the clouds blanketed the sky and a sunset failed to materialize—a definite disappointment. So, like a general who adapts upon engaging an enemy, I adapted to the changing weather conditions. I experimented by contrasting the texture of the water with the texture of the overcast sky. The result was definitely a success.

Running Water

Last weekend was a big weekend for photography. Besides shooting the Capitol Columns at the National Arboretum on Friday, I headed over to the other side of the Potomac early Sunday morning to shoot the sunrise over the Washington skyline. We had had a storm in the area and I was hoping the storm would break Sunday morning. Instead, the clouds lingered a bit and the storm broke a couple of hours after sunrise. Nevertheless, even though the clouds refused to cooperate, I'm happy with the moody images I was able to capture.

Sleeping city Austerity