The first shoot we did during the Wind River Photographers’ Retreat was at Brooks Lake. I had just been here the week before, canoeing with grandpa on a blustery day. I had seen how beautiful the fireweed looked, but it was just too windy to try to photograph, so I left disappointed. I was delighted to see that it was still in full bloom when I returned with the group. I saw a large swath of fireweed from the van as we drove in, and once we unloaded, I hightailed it over there and spent most of the morning trying to highlight it against the scenic backdrop the mountains provided.