Weekly Photo Challenge – Golden Hour II

“Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.”

George Harrison

MORNING HAS BROKEN, ACE BASIN, SC

Earlier this week my response to Cheri Rowland’s Golden Hour challenge included a number of evening shots from my week in Michigan.  Afterwards my blogging friend Tom, of the Palladian Traveler, challenged me to share some work (such as the shot above) from the early morning hour.  So, I’ve chosen some favorites from my archives and Tom, this one’s for you!  🙂

AN ELEPHANT’S EYE. BOTSWANA

“Morning has broken, like the first morning.”

Eleanor Farjeon

In Africa, photography takes place in the earliest morning hours or in the late evening.  At mid-day the animals are sleeping and the day is too hot for anything but rest. You can see the morning’s golden sidelight in the warmth of this beautiful creature’s skin.

DOOR KEY, ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA

“Light is precious in a world so dark.”

Kate DeCaillo

The same is true in Cambodia, where the temples of Angkor Wat seem to glow in the early morning hours.  The warm hues of the ancient stone come alive with a near other-worldly hues of orange, red and gold.  In both places, a 4 am wake-up call is the most difficult part of the day, but is surely worth the effort.

WINDOWS ON THE WORLD, ANGKOR WAT, CAMBODIA

“You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.”

Matthew 5:14

Those of you who have been following me for some time will recognize the next two photos.  The morning of this shoot it was freezing cold as I ventured out of my warm, cozy “yurt” at 5am.  There was no guarantee of  a sunrise, as most mornings are cloudy and the mountains are either dark grey or totally obscured.  This particular morning we were greeted by brilliant sunlight which changed colors several times before the ever-present clouds closed in once again.  It was the only time the sun broke through at sunrise for the next two weeks.

DAYBREAK, TORRES DEL PAINE, CHILEAN PATAGONIA

MORNING SUN, TORRES DEL PAINE, CHILEAN PATAGONIA

“The sunlight was a benediction.”

Dan Simmons

And speaking of clouds and fog, they are not always a bad thing for the early morning photographer.  Our travels in Alaska included many brilliant mornings, and very long beautiful sunsets, but the quiet morning stillness of the shot below made it one of my favorites of the trip.

LITTLE CAT FEET, SITKA, ALASKA

“The fog was thick and full of light, and sometimes voices.”

Erin Bow

As you can see, although I am not a morning person, I do sometimes rise to the occasion 🙂  In closing, a beach sunrise from my home here on Kiawah, just to let you know that I also do sunrise at home when the mood is right!

SUNRISE, KIAWAH ISLAND

“It’s hard to be angry when one has seen the sun rise.”

David Gemmell

To see more Golden Hour entries, click here.

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Tags: photography, weekly photo challenge

• July 17, 2013
• Nature, Photography, Weekly Photo Challenge
• 77 Comments