Morning Light

Morning light has always drawn me outdoors.

I am often asked, "Why do you get up so early?"

My answer is always the same: Why not?

The first light of day—known to photographers and filmmakers as the Golden Hour—is unlike any other. As the sun rises above the horizon, it casts a soft, warm light that transforms everything it touches. People, landscapes, buildings, and wildlife, all seem to come alive in ways that cannot be recreated later in the day.

A Swan making its’ way thru the morning light and fog-A quiet reminder that the most beautiful moments are often the briefest.

For me, it is more than beautiful light. It is a feeling.

I can feel the warmth on my face as the sun begins to rise. As darkness slowly fades, colors emerge, and the world seems to wake up around me. Birds begin to sing. Wildlife starts to move. The day quietly announces its arrival. I will often say to myself- the day is waking up!

Familiar subjects take on new beauty in the first light of day.

What makes this light so special is how brief it is. It arrives quickly and, before long, it is gone. Yet during those few moments, nature seems to glow. A swan crossing calm water, a deer standing at the edge of a field, or a songbird perched in a tree can appear almost illuminated from within.

When morning light combines with fog moving across the water or a light sprinkle of rain, something even more remarkable happens. The ordinary becomes extraordinary. Scenes that might go unnoticed later in the day suddenly feel filled with life.

Morning fog and first light transform an ordinary scene into something extraordinary.

This is why I get up early.

Not because I know what I will find, but because I know the light will be there. And sometimes, if I am patient enough, that first light reveals something beautiful waiting to be seen.

The video below captures one of those mornings.