Photographing the American West icon has been a dream of mine for years! The time had finally come. It was early in September and there had already been a light snow storm in the Teton Valley. The morning air was cold and crisp, and I had dressed for it.

I knew this was a popular photo spot, so I showed up early. I wanted to position myself for the perfect composition. Sunrise wasn’t until about 6:45am, I left my campsite at 5:00am. It was less than a 30 minute drive, so I was plenty early.

I was excited because I was going to try out my brand new 15 – 30mm wide angle lens. As planned, I was the first to arrive. With the help of the stars and my headlamp, I found my way to the barn. I could see the majestic rugged Teton peaks silhouetted against the night sky. There was enough light from the stars to see the outline of the barn as well. I had the place to myself for probably 20-30 minutes. Just long enough for my toes to start freezing.

The next photographer showed up and began setting up. We casually chatted as she pulled her gear out of her backpack. She commented that I was a bit too close to the barn for this shot. As more photographers began lining up for the sunrise, they were all in line with the first lady. Embarrassingly enough, I was 15 feet in front of the rest of the crowd. I suddenly realized they were all shooting 35-70mm lenses. It looks like I picked the wrong subject for testing my new wide angle lens. What to do?

After all of that time prepping for my perfect composition, it looked like I would not get the shot. I casually and politely picked up my gear and moved back to be in line with the rest of the group. The last thing I wanted to do was be that “Jerk” who stood in front of everyone’s shot.

I needed to re-composing my shot. I squeezed every bit of the 30mm that the lens would give me, and hoped that it would provide the results I had planned on. As the sun began to reveal itself, I could see the soft morning colors on the tips of the mountain peaks. Ever so slowly, the edge of the light moved gradually lower to illuminate more and more of each peak behind the barn.

I carefully captured each sequence so I could choose later which one I liked best.

The golden color on the steep rugged peak was brilliant and provided an astounding backdrop for that famous barn. I could not wait to get home and view the results on my big screen! As you can see, the final image is so peaceful. Seeing this picture reminds me ot the grandeur of God’s creations.

I have this image hanging in my office and I love it! If you could envision this artwork in your home or office, reach out to me. Let’s figure out the optimal size for your space.