I am (self labeled) a generalist nature photographer. I love photographing landscapes, wildlife, macro, weather, ocean waves, etc. Hunting for interesting, informative, artistic and/or unique subjects in the great outdoors to photograph motivates me to get out in nature often. Bringing images (once referred to in the good old film days as ‘latent images’, meaning they were in the camera but not seen until processed later) home to relive the moment over and over again is also part of the reward. Sharing images, either through social media or through prints and magazine publishing, further enhances the experience for me as I share an image that hit my heart and soul. Going after sunrise and sunsets is probably as close to a universal attraction to photographing nature as anything, as witnessed by how many cameras and camera phones are seen held above people’s heads pointed at the sunset/rise direction at the decisive moment. (I wonder how much better that 18 inches of rise at the end of extended arms is in capturing the perfect composition of a setting sun past the distant horizon?) I too am captured by glowing red on the horizon. Sunrise and sunset, to me, are best shown when the sun is actually below the horizon or, as seen in this photo, is blocked by a tower of clouds that created crepuscular rays and shadows on the higher clouds, both of which added drama to the overall scene. The sky mirrored in calm, flat water completed the artistry of nature in that moment. I had no idea what I would find when I left the house WAAAYYY before sunrise that morning, but I did know that if I didn’t go out, being called by camera to do so (thank you camera), I would have not been witness to that inspiring view and I would not have had this image to share with you.
