Photography is an inconvenient activity. Should you favor photographing the landscape (as I do), it is certain that you might not have many breakfasts or dinners “on time.” Sunrises cannot be rescheduled for later in the day. To see a sunrise, you have to get up when it’s really, really dark. Sunsets usually occur near the dinner hour. Those in extremely northern climes might be able to enjoy some after dinner photography because of late summer sunsets, but for the most part, the directional light landscape photographers cherish happens at the edge of the day. If that’s your photographic interest you will have to miss some meals to make photographs.
There can be exceptions to this rule (aren’t there always exceptions?) and I found some of them over the last two years in southern Utah. When I was photographing Capitol Reef and the surrounding areas, the rock faces were oriented in so many different directions there were always “good” shadows somewhere to be found. It was just a question of keeping your eyes open and your mind receptive to the possibility that you just might find some nice light at 2 PM.
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