In October, 2009, I flew to South Carolina on family business. It was a quick two day trip, but I knew that I had to get back to Brevard, North Carolina to see the fall color, so I gave myself an extra day. After a long drive and little sleep, I woke to a soft misty rain. Bad weather can be a photographer's best friend, so I donned my Gortex and drove up to the Blueridge Parkway. I stopped often, looking for compositions and color. This was my favorite photo of the day. The rain and mist caused the sky to act like a big reflector, sending diffused light into the shadows of the forest and letting us see detail that would be lost in the bright sun. I lost my favorite polarizer somewhere in these woods, maybe a small price to pay for the gift of a moment of beauty like this.