The best light for photographing water and highly saturated autumn color is generally considered to be a high overcast. The cloud cover serves as a giant diffuser, eliminating harsh shadows and the resulting high contrast that can detract from the color and texture of the scene. It was still pre-dawn this autumn morning when I began my hike to Erwin's View, my favorite spot for photographing Linville Falls at the head of Linville Gorge. As daylight arrived that morning, trees blocked the sky from my view, and only when I emerged from the forest onto the open cliff viewing area did I realize the fortunate lighting conditions. Adding interest to the scene below me was the wispy little cloud that lingered in the Gorge until late morning. Perhaps because of the lack of sunny blue skies that day, I had the spot entirely to myself for several hours; that allowed me to try a number of compositions and exposures without interfering with others' enjoyment of the view. This particular shot is one of my favorites from that day's shooting, and it has consistently been my most popular Linville Falls photograph.