Photo of the Week - Sunset Over the Blue Ridge Mountains

Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina

During our December stay at Biltmore Estate, I devoted some time on Christmas evening to capture sunset photos. I set up for the photo shoot on main balcony of the inn. Our room had the same vantage point several floors higher, but I wanted to avoid shooting through glass. The weather was decidedly brisk. I took a couple dozen shots for about 20 minutes after sunset. The color display was a bit underwhelming, so I called it quits and headed back to our room.

As soon as I went to the window to double-check our room’s view, I knew I had made a mistake by stopping my photo shoot too early. This was the incredible scene a mere six minutes after I left the inn’s balcony. I fired a few photos through the glass. Less than a minute later, the vibrant colors were gone.

It was a gentle reminder that a precious moment can be quite fleeting. One has to be patient, look for it, and then cherish it after it has been found.