Expectations vs. Reality

All of us go through life with a certain amount of expectations, but often times the reality of a situation doesn't match our anticipated plans.  As landscape photographers, we travel to an area with a hope and expectation of finding the right conditions and subject matter to make an interesting photograph.  Many times the reality doesn't match our hopes. Often times the light or the weather is not right for doing photography.  I remember in my early days with photography I would become upset at wasting a day without making an image because the conditions didn't co-operate or I just couldn't find anything I was interested in photographing.  Today I don't get as alarmed with the failed visits to an area and coming away empty handed.  I know from experience that the good images will come and the hard work to find them will never be an easy task.  I made this image a couple of days ago on the east coast of Florida.  My expectations were to revisit the rock jetty that is featured in my banner image on my blog's main page.  I have been wanting to return to this location and repeat the experience to see if I could create another new and interesting image.  I started out my day by checking the motion weather radar map to see if any storms would be moving through the area.  It showed that early afternoon storms were going to be in the region so I decided to make the trip.  I arrived early and scouted the location and waited.  In a couple of hours the storms appeared with some magnificent clouds but the storm failed to go out over the ocean and left the jetty with a blank blue sky behind it.  As I watched the storm moving north up the coastline I felt like I just wasted another trip.  My plans and expectations faded into the reality of the situation.   As I returned to my truck I noticed a small hiking trail going through a hammock of dense trees.  I figured I would make a hike before making the drive home and explored the area forest.   Although this area was only a short way from the beach it was extremely quiet in there and the storm clouds made for some really nice soft light.  I came across this fallen palm frond and instantly knew this was going to be my image of the day.  As I came away I realized the short quiet walk in amongst the trees was the place I was meant to be that day.