While driving west on US Route 60 near Rogersville, MO last fall, I was heading towards an absolutely phenomenal sun setting behind a series of clouds. The sun’s rays emanating in all directions were spectacular as the sun passed behind the clouds.
I was driving and had a dilemma. It was a a four-lane, divided highway with a grass median and the occasional paved cross over for official use. I was looking for the perfect spot to stop and grab some shots since I had only minutes before the sun broke free of the clouds and the entire image changed. The only viable shot was directly down the center of the highway and I was only going to have one chance at this … stopping, getting out the camera and tripod, and shooting.
Each time I saw one of the cross overs, traffic was too heavy and too fast to safely move over and stop. As it was getting dark, it was hard to spot them down the road with any kind of advanced notice. Finally, there was an overpass up ahead where I could chance pulling along the curb without causing an accident.
By the time I got up the ramp, made the turn, pulled over and got setup for the shot, I’d lost it. The sun had emerged beneath the clouds. Although still a beautiful shot, it wasn’t the one I had envisioned and was hoping for.
