Five Minute Windows

After driving over 7000km in nine days around Scandinavia it was the morning of my last day. I was in Norway heading south towards the airport in Oslo, psychologically I was winding down, not expecting to take too many more photographs. As the road met up with the River Stryn on my left, I glanced in my mirror as a lay-by flashed past. I had a split seconds worth of hesitation – I almost didn’t stop – then slammed on the brakes, reversed back to the lay-by and skidded down the bank to the river’s edge. It was stunning. There was a bank of early morning fog and it was fast disappearing. I had five minutes, if that, to take advantage of the beauty that had been presented to me, gift wrapped. Adrenalin was rushing through me as I tried to be disciplined and take the safe shots before going for the more risky ones that may or may not work. Then it was gone, slowly drifting away as the sun rose, lasting no more than a couple of minutes.

As I drove away I was stunned by the series of events that had led up to that moment. Nine days on the road, catching the last ferries of the day by the skin of my teeth, breakdowns, diversions, all leading me to that one moment, that window of stunning beauty on the last day of my trip.

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