Milford Sound Panoramic, New Zealand

The Milford Sound is actually a Fjord, gouged out by seaward glaciers in the Fjordland region of New Zealand. So much fresh water flows into the Milford Sound that a permanent layer of fresh water floats above salt. I waited here all day for a break in the rain and clouds, but by late afternoon the mountains were still completely cloaked. For months before I arrived, I previsualized how I would get this shot, so rain or not, I headed out to at least be in position if the clouds lifted. Amazingly, the moment I had everything in place, the clouds lifted, the rain stopped, and Mitre Peak became visible. Man was I happy! But no sooner was I ready to take the shot than a slow, steady wave surged into the fjord like a tiny tsunami, which was high tide returning. The log in the photo was on dry ground when I began setting up, and became surrounded by water in just minutes.  I was a bit nervous because I wasn’t just taking a quick, single-frame shot, but a 6-frame panoramic, with 3 exposures per frame for the foreground and the sky. For this shot to work, everything had to be perfectly aligned, the exposures perfectly planned, and the tripod steady.  With my shot accomplished and my feet wet, the tide chased me back to land, which was a long way because the beach was remarkably long and flat.    The clouds closed right back up after I got my photo and it rained all night so I felt like nature gave me a gift.

• Landscapes
• Panoramic