WPC – Sunrise and Sunsets

There is something magical about the start or end of a day. I love a good sunrise, but I am rarely awake for one. Silly really, but once I am finally asleep, I love to stay asleep. I have friends and even my Husband who are up before sunrise and have the joy of seeing it every morning. I, however, prefer my sunrises and sunsets (this week’s WPC) a little more poetic, staged from somewhere beautiful.

It’s possibly a little silly, but I just don’t have a good view from my front or backyard, too many houses. I can appreciate a lovely sunset, but it is rarely photo worthy with the neighbours’ house and TV antenna in it 😦 likewise the sunrise from my front door is all houses and cars!

So I would rather travel somewhere in the hope that I get a great sunrise or sunset, I had about 12 months of bad luck, where I could not get a good sunrise at all. But I always try for at least one brilliant one, while we are travelling. I am no cloud guru, but I think we may be getting a little better at reading them. Mostly it boils down to blind dumb luck.

I have noticed that whenever I shoot landscapes, I like to have no people in them, in fact, I especially like to see and hear no people when I shoot at sunrise; I want the peace, calm & tranquillity. Considering I mostly shoot portraits, it seems a little strange, but I think it is like a reset switch. If I can shoot 3 maybe 4 sunrises each year, preferably somewhere near the water, or somewhere majestic, and mostly on my own (Moth doesn’t count – as he knows I need solitude and quiet at that time of the morning), I feel a sense of renewal and rebirth. I feel calm and centred. I never had that before I picked up a camera. I rarely saw a sunrise, only when I was on my way home from a night out, but that was rare (to be up that late), sure I saw the occasional sunset and thought oh isn’t that pretty, but I never truly appreciated the majesty until I got a camera. Actually, there were a lot of things I never truly appreciated until I got a camera.

I am rambling…enjoy your weekend. Happy Easter (to those that celebrate it)…

~ Julz