Sunset at Henry House

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The Henry House, located in Manassas, Virginia, was the site of a Confederate sniper position during the First Battle of Bull Run - the first major battle of the American Civil War. The house was later destroyed during the Second Battle of Bull Run but not before locals stripped the house for souvenirs as it was a target of Union artillery fire during the battle.

I have a love-hate relationship with Manassas Battlefield. The site is rich in history and open fields. Big, unobstructed skies are the biggest feature of this place and as such I've ventured to this place many, many times looking for amazing sunset shots. I must have visited this place at least half a dozen times in 2016 looking for the perfect composition and the perfect light. Each time I ventured out to these hallowed fields, I was thoroughly defeated by poor weather conditions, poor light, or lack of subject interest.

This image here has turned out to be my little prize piggy of what will probably be my last outing to the battlefield for this year. Taken just moments before sunset, the sky was ablaze with colors and character. I had been running around the field with my camera and tripod desperately searching for a composition -- any composition -- and with the light waning and my hopes diminishing, I saw this scene and said "Fuck it, this'll have to do!" Thinking that this trip was another epic failure, I didn't actually revisit this photo until nearly 3 months after taking the shot but boy am I glad I did! I think the lessons learned here are two-fold: persistence pays off and sometimes the best shots are the ones we least suspect.