This photo nearly didn't happen. I had been wandering around after taking another photo and, as was my custom, left the camera on the tripod with the lot slung over my shoulder.
When I saw this image I set everything up then went to open the shutter to compose the image on the ground glass...no cable release (my super-angulon has an old shutter that requires the shutter to be set to B and held open with the cable release).
I retraced my steps for what must have been about 15 minutes but to no avail. The cable release was nowhere to be seen. Needless to say I was upset but chalked it up to experience and resolved to carry a spare in future.
I packed up the equipment, folded the tripod, shouldered my backpack, bent over to pick up my jacket, and there it was. The release was in a small crack quite literally under my feet.
Naturally by now the sun was higher than when I first saw the shot but with the cloud it didn't really matter although the brightness range is quite extreme with 1200% extra exposure required in some parts of the sky.
The image emerged on the surface of the print. I felt I had captured a scene from the beginning, or maybe the end, of time.
I was elated.
The sun has risen from this horizon billions of times. I photographed it once.
I was humbled.
It will continue rising for thousands of millennia.
I was angry.
Angry that these centuries to be,
Are not for me.
