The Tetons from Lake Solitude. July 2024. Nikon Z6 + Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4S @ 47mm, f/4, 1/1600s, ISO-320

I had read so many reviews on Nikon and Canon cameras, all of them saying some version of “these mirrorless cameras are great, except for their battery life!” Excited to jump on the craze of the new technology taking over DSLRs, I would always dismiss that last point about battery life, thinking I’d be fine charging up before every time I went out, that it would never happen to me.

It was a beautiful summer day in July, perfect weather for hiking into the Tetons from Jenny Lake. As I parked my car and headed toward the docks for the short boat ride over to the trailhead, I looked down at my camera and flicked it on. My heart sank as I saw the battery indicator at one bar. I had forgotten to charge the night before.

As I climbed onto the boat and we set off across the lake, I cursed my negligence as an amazing scene of the mountains across the lake came into view. With my dwindling battery and the gorgeous scenery, I knew this hike was going to be a challenge.

The hike began with a climb into the forested, mountainous terrain, and flattened out at the top of the climb as I entered the more shaded woods heading into the mountains towards Lake Solitude. I was safe for now, though I was balancing my shutter-happiness with a vigilance for wildlife through the trees and rocks. As the hike wore on, the trail curved and rose toward the lake, showing the majesty of the Tetons once again, the bare rock faces jutting defiantly up into the evening sky. The Sun was setting. I snapped some photos as I looked back up at the Tetons while continuing towards the lake. As the Sun continued to set, I glanced down at my camera again and again, willing myself not to take any more shots, not to look back. Finally, I walked across a small, wooded area, and came upon the lake. Stopping only momentarily to enjoy the tranquil atmosphere and scenery, I quickly began skirting the perimeter of the lake, looking for a good shot that would frame the lake in the foreground. I was running out of battery and daylight. I tried not to think about my camera dying on me now, as I reached the other side of the lake and looked back at the Tetons. Using some ice that had formed on the perimeter of the lake as a reference for distance, I framed the shot and fired off, moving closer or farther away from the lake. The sky was almost clear, the scenery was serene, the mountains in perfect view from the lake, but the Sun was setting. I had to capture this.

Satisfied with the number of shots I had taken, and with my camera still hanging on. I started to make my way back. I had not gotten far past the woods near the lake when my camera finally died. Grateful that I had been able to capture the scenery at the lake against the now-dark sky, I took out my GPS and made my way back.

While the obvious lesson from this hike was to keep an eye on my battery before going out, I always felt that the more important lesson I learned was to be able to frame a shot with your eyes and have an at least rough idea of what to show off with the scenery before bringing a camera into the picture. This hike made me realize that I had so much room for improvement regarding visualizing a good photo, which is something I never would have appreciated had it not been for my low battery (or alternatively, a film camera, with its limited number of exposures available).