Photography is often the struggle of finding...

Photography is often the struggle of finding a picture among the

chaos of ever-changing light, subject elements, compositions and

backgrounds. Sometimes, it just comes down to patience.

This day, I knew all along that I wanted to get a picture of this

advancing storm front, but I had to somehow find a “clean” background

free of man-made distractions like power lines and light poles. I

found it at Irvine Terrace Park, which has a beautiful upward slope

of grass that hides everything behind it but has a trail right along

its edge to allow a human element to enter the frame. Though there

wasn’t anyone coming by, I noticed a group at a picnic table at the

far end of the park who would have to walk this trail to exit. So all

I had to do was wait. After a half an hour, this little girl broke

away as the group was leaving and I had a nice, clean shot of this

tiny human dwarfed by a giant wall of clouds.

-- Kent Treptow, staff photographer