The night before this early morning photo was stormy, pushing everyone inside for cover as it rolled through. The hours passed as darkness ruled and all we could really do was wait, sleep, and see what the morning would bring. What arrived in the early morning was a period of calm serenity that countered nature’s previous anger. The low morning cloud cover that slipped down over this valley town insulated it, keeping it in a state of rest after a night’s gusty rain. Being there to freeze the early morning beauty was a joy. It’s interesting how sometimes things can seem so bleak and impossible in the moment, but believing that something good is yet to come can get us to the other side. Especially when many times we have no guarantees about the future and can only see what’s right in front of us. The night before taking this photo, I had very little reason to believe the morning would be anything worth shooting. It would have been easy to assume the rain would just carry on, leaving everything in a soggy, hard to view mess. It definitely seemed that way as I went to bed. What I had to do was not let my assumptions about the weather prevent me from waking up and making an attempt the next morning. Not letting ourselves be limited by the belief that if today wasn’t our best day, tomorrow won’t be either, is a key to success that takes time and practice to develop. Many times it is that last shred of hope for change that brings us to our finest moment. The beautiful distant mountains in this image were not visible through the previous night’s storm. It was being forced to wait out the storm, rest, and be refreshed enough for a morning hike that revealed their beauty; creating a photo that is a visual example of what is to be found in the slowdown right on the other side of life’s roughest patches. When viewers enjoy this photo, I want them to be able to feel that even if things are moving too quickly or they find themselves wrapped in a stormy season of life, there is hope for restoration and something beautiful ahead. That even just stopping to take in the landscape, hints of green, and solitude of this valley gives passers-by a moment to themselves where they can catch their own breath and turn to look at the world in front of them with fresh perspective and belief that their great moment is just around the corner.