The weather hasn’t been too bad so far, but it’s patchy and good light is hard to get. There are moments when there is more blue sky than clouds, but that doesn’t last for long and then you’re standing there waiting again with camera in hand. But I’m used to these conditions and I don’t bother to be disappointed. There’s always the next time. I don’t get good light everywhere I go, but sometimes I get good light when I go somewhere. Today was one of those days, I drove to Kappruet in the morning and it was sunny. As I was climbing up, I kept wondering why I put myself through this trouble. God I hate those climbs. Then I got on top and the climb was but a distant memory and I just enjoyed myself. When you get to the alpine tundra, it’s such a freedom. It may sound weird, but it just feels like there’s more air up there. And maybe there is… especially in those cases when it’s warm and you have to hike through a mosquito infested forest. The slight breeze on the mountain is such a relief! Anyway, not so many mosquitoes this early in the season, sure I got a few bites but it was nothing, considering that I wasn’t protecting myself against them.

When I reached the top, the clouds started moving in. If it only was some fluffy clouds, it might have worked out, but it was that annoying thin high cloud which doesn’t quite obscure the sun but it makes the sky as un-photogenic as it gets. The views towards the Anådalen valley were wonderful, but the way the light was changing, it was a hopeless task. I took one picture, and deleted it. I had better luck with this mountain birch, I shot it on the way in while there still was blue sky (you can see the cloud bank in the horizon), and then shot it from another angle on the way out. By now my only option was a monochrome conversion. You can see the sky is white, but the birch still casts a shadow. Nevermind, the good thing with mountain birches is that they always work in black and white!