Sometimes you’re just walking along minding your own business intent on getting somewhere cool where you can take incredible pictures. Someplace where the light is fantastic, the content perfect, and all the elements are exactly where they should be. That place is probably down this path, around the corner and will be there right in front of you, the perfect incredible view. You just have to hurry so you get there before the light changes.

In your mind you see the type of images you want and you single-mindedly forge ahead, eyes down, brain shut down to everything but what might be right around the corner. You haven’t been to this spot yet and you haven’t actually seen the views you believe are there but you’re pretty sure they must be. So you don’t look to the right or the left you just plow ahead.

 As a photographer you train yourself to be aware of your surroundings, to look everywhere because that great shot might be right next to you and that works until you let your imagination put blinders on you. When that happens you can pass right by the picture you were looking for. That’s what happened when this picture was taken.

What had been a non-descript image because the light was flat and hidden behind a cloud made this view one you would walk right by, not giving it a second glance. The wall was ok but nothing special and the background wasn’t even noticeable. Let’s go, don’t waste your time here, let’s get to where the good pictures are. Then the sun came out. And like a deep-sea Angler fish dangling its lighted bait in front of it, it highlighted the spectacular lime green leaves to draw you in, painted the grass a beautiful golden orange and caused the small trunks of the willows behind it to go pure black in perfect contrast, and there you were, you were hooked. Here it was the image you had been hunting for, the one you had written off in your mind, right here in front of your face. Your red embarrassed face. You nearly lost this shot. The morale of this story is. Keep your imagination but turn the blinders off. Keep looking everywhere, and most importantly, a picture in your viewfinder is worth two in the bush.

Note: If you want to see this view for yourself go to Aztec Ruins National Monument near Farmington, New Mexico. Take the path to the left and watch. Pay particular attention to the drab, non-descript foliage and when you see the sun come out and the foliage begins saying Stop Look at Me, take your picture.