Not every trip or day works out for the landscape photographer. For every great day that the light, subject and weather work out, there are several that do not. This can be extremely frustrating, as getting to an iconic location can be expensive in terms of both cost and time. Months and months of planning can be turned upside down by conditions that simply don't allow for a "wall hanger" to be taken. Early in my photography trips I would lament such times with complaints and no shots. Over time, I have learned to look for other things to shoot and turn lemons into lemonade.
This photo is an example of this. Our crew was up well before dawn, and we headed out on a 45 minute drive to be in position to take a sunrise photo at one of America's most iconic locations, Oxbow Bend. It was clear the second we got there that it was going to be one of those mornings. The Tetons were socked in and the majestic Mount Moran was nowhere in sight, even though we knew it was there. Rather than lament about it, I started working the scene and, looking eastward, noticed the fog rising from the Snake River. Just for a moment, the sun peeked through the dense clouds, giving the scene some light and accentuating the fog.