A few years ago, at the beginning of October, I was scouting in the famous Mont-Tremblant National Park.

Driving down a road that paralleled the Rivière du Diable (Devil River), I was disappointed because it was too early in the season for fall foliage. In addition, the clouds were very low, blocking the light. However, from the road I spotted a trail leading down to the river’s edge, so I parked the car and made my way down to the shore.

From this angle I was pleasantly surprised to see the fall colours just starting, and the path of the river with the small mountain in the distance. The atmosphere was great. I installed my tripod and used my wide-angle lens with an ND filter. I visualised a long exposure to enhance the reflection on the water. When scouting, I always carry light rain boots that protect my walking boots. So, I wore the boots and made my way on top of the rocks into the river to the spot I wanted to reach for the composition I had in mind.

As usual I used my live time feature on my camera to perform an 8-second exposure. Doing so I had a perfect histogram (ETTR). This scene illustrates that even when the weather is not ideal, there are always possibilities to create great images.