At times, if you keep your eyes open for it, what first seems like misfortune may reveal its rewards.

Above Ft. Washington, MD on approach to Washington DC National Airport

This photo was captured on initial descent to Washington DC’s National Airport, after more than an hour delay. If the flight had not been delayed, we would have landed long before sunset and the view would have been just an ordinary riverscape through a crud-covered, scratched and hazy plastic airplane window–I would have never pulled out my iPhone for it. I still got to Washington in time for an event, plus I got this beautiful image. I may never say these words together again, but “Thank you hydraulic malfunction!”

Captured on an iPhone 6, the original shot needed a fair amount of correction to reduce the window crud and haze (and to crop out the airplane wing). This version was edited in Lightroom CC on my Macbook.