Be Prepared!

A Royal Preparation

As the Boy Scouts say, "Be prepared!" Well, this advice applies to photography as well. In fact being prepared may be just as important as being there. What good does being at the right place at the right time do if you are not ready to capture the scene in front of you? This point was never made clearer to me than during my most recent visit toGrand Canyon National Parkin July, 2001.

Being on theNorth Rimof the Grand Canyon I decided to pay another visit toCape Royal, one of the most impressive overlooks I know of. I had photographed this location several years ago and wanted to revisit it with new eyes and new photographic equipment. I was there for sunset which is guaranteed to be dramatic if the sun decides to come out of the clouds. However July is the monsoon season in Arizona and it often rains every afternoon.

That day was a typical monsoon day. Although the monsoons bring dramatic weather they also force you to wait and sometimes ...