EXTREMITY # 4
I had wanted to photograph this location for some time. It is an abandoned marina on an inland lake in South Africa. I liked the structure and shape of the building but I knew it was going to take something special to do it justice. Almost five years later I finally got my opportunity. It was two days before Christmas, about three in the afternoon, when the weather suddenly changed for the worst. I had a sense that something was about to happen – and it certainly did. A thunder storm came rolling in towards the marina generating a huge mushroom shaped cloud. It felt like Armageddon had arrived. I rushed to get my equipment out and had just enough time to set up a composition. I knew if I missed it, I would never get the same opportunity again. Expecting the worse I covered the camera with a zip lock bag and cut a hole for the lens. Just before the hail pelted down I got a few exposures off. Fortunately one of the shots captured a lighting strike in the background. Twenty minutes later it was all over, the storm had passed and calm had been restored. It is times like these that bring the most satisfaction to ones photographic career.