In June 2016, we visited Mono Lake with the idea of the Milky Way rising above the Tufa Towers. No such luck this time! But the sunset was amazing, maybe the best I have ever seen at Mono. I had two lenses pre-focused for the Milky Way so I gravitated towards the Canon 16-35, and a Rokinon 14mm. Both worked well; I prefer the image made with the 14mm Rokinon. Our pre-conceived ideas about shooting seldom work. Be open to the possibilities, and as I say in workshops, "practice does not make it perfect, perfect practice makes it perfect, you must first practice the art of practicing". Then be ready for what the world presents you in the field, and remember that luck favors the prepared!
