Picture: Red clouds at sunset over Lake Tahoe, California
“Oh my God; Look at that light!” That’s usually what I am welping like a wounded dog when I see something that looks photographically fantastic, yet I have no camera.
I was in Lake Tahoe for the weekend, with my wife, and without our kids. Even though I had my camera, and even though my wife gave her blessing for me to go take pictures, this was her weekend getaway. I had done a whole books worth of travel this Spring and Summer. She spent this time taking care of the kids, and concurrently was involved in one of the largest challenges in her corporate career.
As it snowed around us, and sunlight poked through the clouds, I opted to hang out with my wife, drink cocktails, and play cribbage in the hotel courtyard. (She won.) When we got back to our room to get changed for dinner, I squealed like a stuck pig as I looked out the window to see the most beautiful golden light on storm clouds over the lake. Connie said, take a picture, but I couldn’t even open the window enough to get a lens at the right angle. Oh well, I reminded myself, even travel photographers need a weekend off when away from home.
On a side note, I always remember that this was one of Barbara Rowell’s biggest gripes that she and Galen could never go anywhere without Galen being a slave to the camera. Then came the trip where Barbara laid down the law, and said NO CAMERA! – Of course, Galen came back with some great pictures from that trip, just a lot fewer than normal. Yet, what I always remember is that Barbara couldn’t shake that small nagging resentment afterwards that Galen couldn’t put the camera all the way away, even at her insistence. Her sentiment was that he could never take a real vacation.
Fortunately, Lake Tahoe is only a three hour drive, and if I get the photographic urge, I can head back there solo, with my camera, and not have to worry about whether I should be “working” while on vacation.
You can see more of my other Lake Tahoe photos in my online web gallery.
What a wonderful sunset it was!!! My little point and shoot digital camera obviously can’t do it justice, but I snapped a few pix anyway for the photo album.
Beautiful picture Gary!
Even if you couldn’t put the camera away 100%, at least you were conscious of your wife’s feelings Gary. I think you made the right decision to keep the shooting to a minimum and put your energies toward your family.
Hey that is a wonderful image Gary!
I can so relate! When we do take a night off and head out to dinner, Janine usually suggests I sit in a place where I can’t see outside, this way I won’t know if I’m missing some great light – it still makes me a bit crazy. I think she realizes we probably won’t take a true vacation again, I can’t imagine not having a camera around “just in case”.
Great post and image!
Ron