6:00 AM. Glacier National Park, Montana.

I thumb my hiking poles nervously. I take in the conditions of the morning: it's still, serene, and cloudless. The trifecta for morning photography, yet I still worry about screwing this up.

My dad had organized a four-day trip for us, where we would cover 45 miles and 14,000 feet of elevation across five exceptional trails. I packed my Olympus E-M10, a tripod, and some neutral density filters in preparation. I had even studied the topography of our routes to determine the perfect shooting location, trying vainly to ensure I wouldn't squander this opportunity. But I still worry.

We set off on the Grinnell Glacier Trail. Undoubtedly the most popular hike in Montana, we move expeditiously to ensure solitude. My thoughts lie solely on photography for the first mile, making sure I don't miss the unnamed pool - a feature I had highlighted months earlier - by Lake Josephine.

6:45 AM. Grinnell Glacier Trail, Montana.

There it is. I tell dad to keep moving; I'll catch up to him shortly. I take my pack off. I'm stunned by how still, perfect, flawless the pool appears, and how it's blessed by two slants of early morning light. Making sure I fit the entire pool in frame ("this shape needs to be completed," Mark would always say), I search for the best composition. The first slant of light needs to run to the left corner of the photo, creating a triangle. That's a given. The mountain slope needs to form a complementary triangle in the upper left. And, of course, I need to leave a little room for its reflection in Lake Josephine.

4:30 PM. Going to the Sun Road, Montana.

Reflecting on that moment, I came to realize how much I valued my photography.

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