Perhaps I have shared this before, but I am not really a morning person. I am, in fact, a big fan of sleeping in – clearly I picked the wrong hobby. There are multiple things I like about sunrises, however, that get me out of bed. One, of course, is the prospect of a stunning sunrise – though admittedly sunsets can be just as pretty. There’s also the fog, which is really rare to see in the evenings when the sun is setting, but is quite common in the mornings here in the Smokies. To me, those atmospherics really make the images interesting. Beyond the obvious visuals, it’s the solitude of a sunrise that I think I enjoy most. Depending on where I go, I may be the only person there, as I was on this particular morning. It’s fun to watch nature waking up and see the night yielding to day. From other locations I can see school buses roaming the roads in the valley, and of course, people heading off to work. It’s the opportunity to be a silent observer, while also documenting it through photography.
I also really enjoy how dynamic sunrises and sunsets can be – particularly sunrises when there is fog involved. Whether just the slight glow of first light or the brilliant warmth and light that happen when the sun first pops above the mountains, its seems that the scenes change minute after minute, offering new opportunities. Throw in fog moving and lifting, and there’s surely something to photograph! Those are the things that get me out of bed early, and keep me coming back for more!
More next week!
–Dan Thompson