Jekyll Island, GA

This was one of those shots I dreamed of since childhood. I drove three hours in attempt to time this shot with the sunset. When I arrived at the island I was greeted by two severe thunderstorms, one of which may have produced a small tornado. I took shelter by the small regional airport on the West side of the island to allow the storms to pass. Afterward, I remember feeling completely defeated and dreading the three-hour drive back to my hotel. Just as I began to drive back, I heard a small voice in the back of my head telling me to go back to the beach and that I wouldn't be disappointed with what I found; I was filled with the conviction that I was going to leave with something after coming such a long way. And this was what I found. The aftermath of the storms left cotton candy skies and an occasional flash of lightning. But my work wasn't done. I was determined to capture the motion of the clouds and smooth out the tide, so I decided to take a long exposure. Without a working remote I had to plant my small tripod in the sand and very carefully press the shutter by hand while my arms were being covered by hundreds of sand flies. My arms itched to the point of pain for weeks after this, but it was well worth the memory!