Clouds Over the River

Chasing light along the St. Lawrence—even when the colors don’t show

My wife and I were spending a few days along the St. Lawrence River in Waddington, NY, in October. We were hoping for a break in the weather—something we could work with for photography—but so far, conditions hadn’t been promising.

It had been raining most of the day, but as sunset approached, the weather app showed a break in the clouds to the west—and it was getting closer.

We set up near the marina, where we had a good view of the river and the setting sun. We had scouted the spot earlier, hoping we’d get at least one clear evening. And we waited. The sky was clearing—but too slowly. The sun was setting, and the clouds weren’t going to part in time. Not the way I had hoped. But…

These clouds were just as good.

They matched the quiet energy of the empty marina in late season. The tourists were gone. The warm summer days were behind us. The sky mirrored that feeling. In fact, a bright, glowing sunset might’ve felt out of place. This moody sky felt right.

Wadding Marina on the St Lawrence - Storm Skies Clearing at Sunset

As the sun dipped below the horizon and blue hour set in, a cargo ship passed along the river. Commerce continues, even when the light fades.

I didn’t get the fiery colors I had hoped for, but there was texture—so much texture—in the sky. So I focused on capturing mood. I leaned into black and white. The first shot, of the marina, was taken with the Fujifilm X-H2 and XF 10–24mm: 1/4 sec, f/8, ISO 640.

Ship on the St Lawrence River, Waddington NY

This photo was shot with the Fujifilm X-T5 and XF 55–200mm: 1/50 sec, f/8, ISO 3200. There was a bit of noise in the RAW file, but Lightroom cleaned it up easily.

Over time, I’ve stopped chasing only orange and red skies. I used to leave the camera in the bag on cloudy evenings, but I’ve learned that the end of the day can offer something different—and just as interesting. Without the color, other elements stand out: the shape and texture of clouds, side light, subtle highlights on the water. Mood, texture, quiet transitions. Embrace the cloudy days. Sometimes they’re the most photogenic of all.

Filed under: Visual Field Journal – Waddington, NY | October