I can't not include this shot among my 2014 highights. Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, and sunset color make for an incredibly dramatic picture. I thank a watercolor we have hanging at my grandma's cabin for the inspiration to take this shot. I think it must have been painted on or near this viewpoint.
On this November Saturday I was chopping firewood with my parents, my brother and my husband at my grandma's cabin. The forecast had looked promising, but clouds came in and I was on the fence about whether a drive to town for the sunset was warranted. I really wanted to get a shot of Rainier and the harbor with sunset color but wasn't sure I'd see it. The weather looked iffy around 3pm when I made my decision to go, but I'm so glad I did. I didn't give myself much time for scouting, and found this spot just in time for the color to start. There is certainly an element of luck in landscape photography.
While Mount Rainier has a cloud cap, which initially I found frustrating, in hindsight I think the added meteorological drama makes for a very interesting image.