Clearing Storm and Stream, Merced County, CA, 1998

In the summer of 1998, I was returning to San Francisco from Death Valley, taking a route through Yosemite. The Sierra Nevada had been lashed by powerful storms that brought heavy snow and rain. In Death Valley, I had learned firsthand the true meaning of flash flood warnings—rivers of mud and rock moving with terrifying speed, capable of engulfing a car in moments.

Traveling north on US 395 and then west on Route 120, I arrived in Yosemite to find the valley drenched and muddy, with the snow line high above at 8,000 feet. After some early morning photography, I decided to head home. By then, the storms that had soaked California were beginning to clear, revealing dramatic cloud formations through the car windows. As I drove, captivated by the shifting skies, I unconsciously slowed to a crawl, earning some… colorful feedback from fellow drivers.

On a whim, I turned into a state park off Route 120, situated alongside a stream that had completely overrun its banks. What was normally a tranquil spot for fishing had transformed into a flooded expanse, with a small dry island visible in the distance. Determined, I chanced driving my truck through the floodwaters. To my amazement, bass leaped over the hood in silvery arcs as I made my way across—an unforgettable sight for a kid from Brooklyn.

Once I reached the dry patch, I set up my tripod and 8x10 camera on a stable mound. The clearing storm and the swollen stream came together in perfect harmony for this photograph. This image captures a moment of a passing storm.