Happy Valentine’s day everyone!  This post admittedly has nothing to do with Valentine’s day though… or does it? 🙂

When my wife and I went to Tybee Island late last summer, we were blessed with nice weather.  As a photographer, I’m always conflicted by this because on the one hand, you crystal clear skies and a nice breeze when you’re at the beach (or anywhere else) are amazing for laying around, staring at the ocean, but on the other hand, there couldn’t be anything more boring from a photography perspective (unless of course we’re talking about crystal clear skies AT NIGHT!).  My perfect day is a beautiful sunrise with lots of high-level clouds, which promptly disappear for the rest of the day until sunset, when they return to grace us with their colorful presence, only to disappear again completely so that I can see the night sky.  I don’t ask for much people! LOL  Anyway, I had been eyeing the weather and the last day we were there a cloud bank was rolling in, so I figured that was my best chance at a nice sunrise. 

Now, the apps were saying high clouds, which is what we want for a nice sunrise BUT the apps aren’t always right… and specifically on this morning they were not right.  In fact, it was entirely all low clouds, which more often than not means a total bust.  I of course didn’t know that though until I was getting out of the car at the Tybee Island Light Station, and noticed things weren’t shaping up the way they were supposed to (I rarely check the weather on the morning I’m planning to go shoot.  I’m either committed or I’m not, no second guessing from the warmth of the bed!).  After being disappointed for a moment I decided to setup my camera anyway and see what happened.  I took a shot and realized that what the camera could see, but my eyes couldn’t, was that the clouds were moving quickly, and they were pretty stormy looking!  Not the sky drama I was hoping for, but drama none-the-less, so I’ll take it!  In photography, as in life and relationships (Oh THERE’S the Valentine’s day hook!  Oh yes I did!), we often times just have to take the scene we’re handed and make the most of it!

I’ve commented multiple times on my blog that I’m not a lighthouse guy… saying this, as I’m posting lighthouse pictures, of course.  I suppose maybe I am a lighthouse guy after all.  Anyway, this particular lighthouse just happens to be the oldest and tallest lighthouse in Georgia, AND is one of the most complete original lighthouses in the country!  The original lighthouse was constructed 1736 (!), but that one got knocked down by a storm.  The replacement was built in 1742 – also knocked down by a storm.  Finally, the one you see here (or at least the base of it) was constructed in 1773 and subsequently remodeled / refurbished multiple times, the latest of which took place in 1999.  Pretty neat stuff!

More next week (but no lighthouses!)!

–Dan Thompson