When Mother Nature Gives You (Weather) Lemons, Make Lemonade!

We’ve all been there – great plans are made to go out and photograph beautiful locations, only to discover that Mother Nature refused to cooperate, so “prime time” with your camera is met with inclement weather…

Recently a small group of photographers met for a weekend of photography in Shenandoah National Park, with the expectations of photographing wildflowers and waterfalls, and maybe a sunset and sunrise.

Shortly after meeting, the photography schedule immediately shifted when the group discovered that Dark Hollow Falls was overrun with hikers on Saturday afternoon, making it impossible to take any meaningful photos with all those people stepping into the frame – or blocking the falls altogether! So, the schedule shifted to photographing wildflowers first and then making the hike to Dark Hollow Falls early on Sunday morning before the crowds descended on the falls again.

The group went in search of wildflowers, which was an easy task, since they were growing in profusion along Skyline Drive at various overlooks and in Big Meadows. The skies were mostly overcast, which made the conditions perfect for photographing wildflowers – something in their favor! It was a very productive afternoon…some of the more common wildflowers that were blooming everywhere:

• Common Milkweed
• Eastern Yarrow
• Nodding Wild Onion
• Queen Anne’s Lace
• Oxeye Daisy
• Spotted Knapweed
• Wild Bergamot/Bee Balm (not the usual red, but pale pink!)

This tiny pink flower photographed in the meadow at the Old Rag View Overlook and in Big Meadows is called “Deptford Pink”. It is a little smaller than a dime and grows close to the ground, so a 100mm macro lens and extension tubes were used to get low and close!

Below is Spotted Knapweed with Butterfly Milkweed in the background, also taken with a 100mm Macro lens in Lodge Road Meadow (near the Skyland-Big Meadows Horse Trail and Big Meadows Entrance Rd.)

Queen Anne’s Lace is photographed with wild grasses in the background, taken with a LensBaby Composer Pro II and Double Glass II optic, also in Lodge Road Meadow.

After dinner on Saturday evening, the group went over to Big Meadows, hoping to catch a sunset, but it was not meant to be…heavy clouds blanketed most of the sky, allowing only a little color to peek through the occasional break in the clouds.

However, there was a group of young bucks in the meadow, grazing and cleaning each other, which made for some wonderful photography!

And, as the low clouds started to envelope the meadow, it was very easy to do some ICM (Intentional Camera Movement) to create impressionistic scenes of the mountains in the distance.

Shortly after dusk, the rain began…and it POURED over night and most of the day on Sunday. The receptionist at the Big Meadows Lodge said that as late as Friday there was only a slight possibility of rain forecasted, but by Saturday afternoon, the forecast had been turned upside down, going from 20% possibility to 100% certainty.

The group met early on Sunday morning, still hoping to do the hike at Dark Hollow Falls, but it was agreed that it was too dangerous with the steady rain, so after breakfast and checkout, the group headed north on Skyline Drive for one last photoshoot at Jewell Hollow Overlook, of flowers in the mist, fog and intermittent showers and anything else that might catch their eye(s).

The reward for their willingness to make adjustments in their plans and objectives led to being able to capture images that showed a different side of Shenandoah National Park that most people (including a lot of photographers) don’t see because of uncomfortable weather conditions.

The fog and mist created an otherworldly environment! Those conditions take this image of Oxeye Sunflowers growing over the rock retaining wall and a fellow photographer in the Jewell Hollow parking lot from “routine” to moody and mysterious!

So, the next time Mother Nature gives you (weather) lemons, even as you grumble about getting wet, go out and make some Lemonade!

All photos were taken with a Panasonic Lumix G9II

Photos by Sherryl Belinsky