A Sliver of Awe
A few years ago, when I bought my first DSLR camera, I was so impressed with the colour it produced, that I spent the first two years (at least) chasing sunsets and sunrises.I'd get up sometimes at 4:30am to race down to a local lake and watch the sun rise behind Mt. Baker, turning the clouds various shades of pink, purple, orange and yellow, the hues spattering across the lake.
Some mornings, with no clouds, the sunrise produced very little colour, just a faint glow on the horizon. Other mornings, the cloud cover was too dense, and only weak light filtered through once the sun had risen.
What fascinated me, then, and now, is how fast the earth is spinning around the sun. On a day to day basis, we probably don't even think about it. But when taking photos of a sunrise or sunset, you have seconds to capture that intense colour before it fades and that moment is gone.
As the sun would set, you'd usually find me driving to some other water area, many times under one of our bridges, or to a local beach, waiting patiently until the blue hour had deepened to the indigo of night.
One cold, December morning, as I was driving to the frozen lake, the sky began to turn a deep red and purple. I was a little later that morning, so was anxious to get there to capture the intense colour. Fortunately, I made it in time, leaping out of the car with my camera and running to the 'spot' where the mountain and colour would be most prominent.
To this day, it's probably still my favourite sunrise photo, and I was fortunate enough to have it displayed on one of our local TV stations. It's unfortunate that photos can't capture the awe and breadth of one's experience, but can only show a very small window of nature's massive canvas.
Although not as committed to chasing sunrises and sunsets, having moved to yet another new area, I find myself pursuing those sunrises and sunsets again, attempting to capture a sliver of awe.
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I had never thought of myself as a photographer although I paint regularly.
Anway, since I have the camera, it goes everywhere with me. No comparison with a Smartphone, I take photos of birds, skies, the weirdest things....
Unfortunately can't upload here. Sometimes I see the sky set [sunsets here nothing like what you have shown on your blog] but I have the camera on the table, rush out [it is a busy main road] and hop up on the small wall to catch the colours against the darkening trees as the sun goes down....I am used to people thinking me mad.
I also have a tiny park across the road, again, in the midst of all the business and noise, dust, fumes, traffic there is this oasis of calm. A river with Mallard Ducks, squirrels, fish, Foxes, and I have taken pics of them all. The Ducks come up to me and eat out of my hand [porridge oats].
The locals think I am mad, my neighbours call me 'cat lady' and I also have a Heron who I keep sardines for. He hangs out across the road in the park but has got cheeky and comes in to my back garden.
I get so much fun and enjoyment from my tiny camera that I wonder how I managed before.
Keep up the photography.
My Camera is very compact and not heavy so, goes in the bag with the hairbrush and wallet. I never joined a camera club as I am not technical, my X was, he was also an art teacher and great artist, he had quite a few cameras and all the different lenses.... too technical for me.
I still find great enjoyment from it though.
I stopped recently to take a photo of a cow , yes, a cow, the most gorgeous face, looking over a gate.
Where i live is far from beautiful although the houses here are terribly expensive, I have a tiny little cottage but it is on the main road.
It is against this backdrop of noise, so many cars, that I love to find beauty. My cottage flowers, the cheeky squirrels who come up for food, the Foxes whom I whistle in at night time to feed with Dog food.
All this makes living in a busy place, nicer and I get close to nature.
To me, there is nothing like nature to give one a boost. Do you have a website for your art? I'd love to see it (you could pm me). I find there is so much in nature, that the days are not long enough to experience everything it offers.
In February, when I was walking the wetlands, two otters pushed their way up through the ice, and I had my camera in hand! It was such an awesome experience, to see this cute little critters popping their heads up.
In awe of your sliver of awe.....stunning pics....
Thanks.