Getting this photo was a fun adventure. I had been out to the Dells Mill and Museum in Augusta, Wisconsin one time. It is about a 2-hour drive from my home in the Twin Cities and the last part of the drive is all on back roads where I'd be completely lost if it wasn't for the advent of GPS devices and the directions they give. 

The first time I came out to the Dells Mill was a very similar day to the one I shot this photo on. It was an overcast fall day with some color in the trees. That first time was two years earlier, in 2014, and I was there about a week too late to get the beautiful peak fall colors. And while the photo I got on that first trip was ok, it wasn't anything that I was satisfied with. I wanted a different look and feel. 

I made the two-hour drive out to the museum, and then I had to make the short walk over to where you can get this beautiful photo. Standing on a two-lane bridge over the river. Thankfully it is not a very busy road, and the people who live in the area are obviously used to seeing photographers standing on the bridge. There were at least 5 other photographers standing on the bridge taking their photos when I arrived. I set up my tripod and got ready for my shot. I knew from my previous trip that if I was taking a long exposure, and a car rumbled by, the bridge would vibrate and I would end up with a blurry photo. On the previous trip, I took a handful of 30-second exposure images. On this trip, I was going to take a 3-minute exposure. If any car drove by during those 3 minutes, I would have to wait for the exposure time to end, and then start again. 

Once I had my tripod and camera and filters all setup, I took the photo. While the 3 minutes ticked off, I made small talk with the other photographers on the bridge. And as the time whittled away, not a single car drove past. I took a good look at the photo to see how it turned out, and it was perfect. This is not a common occurrence for a photographer. When we are dialed into our craft, that first shot is very rarely the photo we end up using. But there it was, exactly the photo I was looking for. I started putting my filters and camera and tripod away. The neighboring photographers commented on how I was done so fast, and I just played along and joked right with them.

I got back into my car and started heading home. I did make a quick pit stop on the other side of this view and took a few photos from that colorful tree line you see in the background. Those also turned out beautifully so make sure you check out my Dells Mill Reflection image to see that one. In total, I drove for around 4 hours that day. I drove 2 hours out to the museum. I spent 3 minutes taking this outstanding photo. And then I jumped back in the car to make the 2-hour return home. That's the way it works sometimes in the world of a photographer. And it's a wonderful thing. I wouldn't change it for the world. 

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Dells Mill Reflection Photograph as Fine Art.

This print will return to the vault on October 31st, 2025, and may never return. Make sure to grab your copy before it goes away.