A cool and clear November morning with a blue sky was not ideal for finding the moody atmosphere of clouds and cliffs I wanted to photograph that day in Yosemite National Park. But a successful photographer tries to make the best of the environment presented, and my thoughts shifted to finding atypical compositions and abstract reflections in the Merced River.

I framed up a few standard compositions of the subject on top and the reflection below, but was unsatisfied with the results. Looking for something unique, I found this composition. I saw how the stones on the river bed worked with the gently moving water to provide the appearance of an impressionist painting of the reflected trees and granite rock formations.

This was one of several images of that type I made that day, proving the adage that there is no such thing as bad light.