This summer was my first time in Glacier National Park. I had been wanting to go for years, but all of my life I was separated by great distances from this magical place. Weeks in advance, I planned out every little detail of the trip. But this shot, dissimilar to the rest, was unplanned.

Before dusk, I journeyed to a location I was planning to shoot at later that night. I walked out on the beach, and was surprised to find myself there alone. Clouds hovered over the horizon, the air was thick with smoke. I realized I had to give up on the shoot, but decided to stay on the beach for a short while longer.

My gaze locked on the lonesome boat amidst the calm waters and powerful mountains. Moments later, a singular cloud was illuminated with the most brilliant orange hue, and everything started to make sense.

That evening was calm and quiet, but that’s the bliss of solitude. Sometimes the best moments are those you least expect, with no one other than yourself.

Includes 16x20 print