A Day Not to be Repeated

The day was a blur of rain, wind, and storm. I happened to have my camera gear in the car as we drove down a county road. We flew past an old house, and it seemed completely shrouded in mist. Naturally, I yelled, "Stop!"and my husband, well-accustomed to this kind of outburst, slowed to turn the car around.

The rain seemed to pick up, but I was determined. We found a driveway where he could pull over, but by then, the rain was heavy, and the light was fading fast. Shooting from the car window wasn't an option—the angle was all wrong. No matter! I decided I just had to get wet and deal with it.

Luckily, a sturdy 6×6 fence post offered a decent anchor. I set up, knowing the distance required a telephoto lens, which often gets shaky with the slower shutter speeds I needed to capture the mood. In a moment of pure luck, the driving rain eased just enough to create a light mist behind the house—exactly what I’d hoped for.

It was such a dreamy shot that I immediately knew I had to "paint"it even further. I found an overlay and treatment that worked perfectly to achieve that soft, vintage, impressionistic look. The scene also called out to be monotone, so I rendered it in black and white, which beautifully highlights the aging of the siding and the roof.

Each time I've driven by this little charmer since, it never looks quite as dreamy as it did on that rainy, windy day. Worse, in recent years, a privacy fence with shrubbery has been built, blocking the view of the property and preventing any shot like this from ever being repeated. It’s a great reminder: shoot when you can, as you may never get another chance.