you’re missing out on the unexpected.
There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality.
Pablo Picasso
I think if you shoot a variety of subject matter you get pretty accustomed to quickly dialing in your settings. For the situations that I am not as familiar with, the ones that require more complex settings, I make use of the Nikon D7000’s two user defined spots on the operation mode dial. This enables me to get a very quick starting point for shooting a scene without having to adjust multiple settings first.
I’m fortunate to have friends that tolerate my obsession with imagery and ignore my third arm…the tripod…that accompanies me most everywhere. In this particular case we were on a girl’s night up at the mountain and hanging alfresco in the hot tub when I saw the moon slip behind some interesting looking clouds. I might add that it is a little chilly in the mountains of Idaho in March so I was grateful to not have to spend any more time than necessary adjusting my settings!
My Tokina 11-16 2.8 wide angle lens is prone to lens flare and since it was almost impossible to get away from all of the hotel and landscaping lights I thought it would be fun to try to use these flares in my “nightscape.”
I think we all have a pretty good idea of what we’re going to be shooting when heading out but for me I always find a little magic in those times when opportunity jumps in when my plans get shot down.
Have a great week and don’t forget to play…
it's (almost always) about the water... 
I love your series of night-time images, and this one, in particular, lets the imagination run riot. Or was it the commentary that set me off? 🙂
A chrysanthemum moon. Lovely. Another amazing photo!
So you had the camera in the hot tub with you? Wondering if it made your scantily clad girlfriends nervous!