The key attributes of any successful landscape photographer are perseverance coupled with patience and vision, all of which led to the capture of this image.

I arrived at the iconic Oxbow Bend of the Snake River in the Grand Teton National Park well before dawn, hoping to capture the sunrise on the aspens in Fall colours backed by Mount Moran. However, I was greeted with heavy cloud cover with no signs of a break.

I was not alone – there were dozens of photographers lining the bank and highway, all with the same expectations. With no sign of a break in the clouds, many photographers left, but eventually, a small break in the clouds lit up the aspens with a perfect reflection in the still waters of the Snake River. Less than a couple of minutes later, the break in the clouds closed up, and the light was gone for the day. An opportunity was lost for those photographers who lacked patience, perseverance and belief and left early.