Waiting for the light

This weekend I’m at the in laws cabin in Savalen. With mountains and lakes, woods and waterfalls around me, I should be able to do a lot of photography. But then there’s the light. It doesn’t appear just because I want it to, or because I’m here. So I find myself waiting for the light once again.

I think all photographers have experienced waiting for the light. Checking the weather reports and all sorts of apps for signs of maybe getting to shoot if not in golden hour smashing light, then at least in decent light. It’s a part of the game.
The thing is, I don’t get to be a photographer every day, so when I finally have the time and opportunity to shoot, I wish I didn’t have to spend as much time waiting for the light. And I know, I could shoot something else than great landscapes, something that doesn’t depend upon good light. But this weekend was all about getting this one image that I have planned for. I need the mist to get the image, but I need the mist to be clearing up, and to be quite frank it doesn’t seem like it will today. It’s like walking inside a huge cloud outside. So I’m waiting.

I really try to make the most of the time I have to spend waiting. I read, I spend time with my family, I go for walks and try to take in the crisp mountain air. It’s time for breakfast, then lunch, soon it’s dinner time and guess what, I’ll have my evening meal and all the snacks in between as well. And all though I have done a lot off stuff throughout the day, all I have been doing is waiting.
It’s a great opportunity to exercise mindfulness when waiting for the light in the field. You can listen to the birds chirping, the mice sprinting in the grass and the moose breaking some sticks of wood in between the trees. You can feel the cold wind on your face and feel close to nature. But still the feeling of waiting doesn’t quite go away for me. Probably because I know I don’t have that much time to get the shot that I’m aiming for.
I hope to be able to post a magnificent, misty landscape next. I hope my waiting pays off and the light finally shows up. If not, I’ll have to wait some more the next time I’m here.