My favorite time of day for going on a picture walk is early, early morning– just as the sun is coming up. It’s a quiet, peaceful time of day when the rest of the world is not yet awake and not yet making noise. It’s a time of day when it’s easier to hear the birds and easier to notice the movement of the grasses where a wiggling bug or bird might emerge.
One of my favorite early morning shots was this little chipmunk perched in a tree with an abundance of colorful flowers in the background.
Hibiscus and a Sumac branch
Monarch
Oftentimes, there’s a mist across the water that adds to the dreaminess of an early morning walk. If I’m lucky, I’ll catch a dragonfly or two laden with dew drops and not quite ready to fly, or a spider web sparkling in the sunlight. The morning sun has a way of making everything look fresher and brighter and more saturated. The problem is, the morning sun doesn’t last long and I always feel like I’m racing against it for a few good shots.
Familiar Bluet Damselfly on a dewy blade of grass
Early morning mist on the pond at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery in Mattawan, Michigan
Barn Swallow
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
The race begins long before I leave the house. In truth, it starts the night before when I lay my clothes out in the guest room so that, come morning, I can get ready without waking up my better half. In order to win my race against the sun in these waning days of summer, I need to be out the door by 6:00 or 6:30 a.m., depending on how far I have to drive. If I leave later than I should have, then the race becomes literal!
I love finding the frogs when I’m out on a walk. Sometimes, it’s a bit like a Where’s Waldo challenge!
Great Blue Heron and a female MallardCarpenter Bee working a flower
Spider web laden with dew and an Eastern Kingbird
Once I arrive at my destination, the race continues– because I want to be everywhere at once before the sun is too high in the sky. If you’ve never been in a race against the sun, it’s hard to explain the urgency—or the delight, if you win!
Monarch
Calico Pennant Dragonfly and a Northern Rough-winged Swallow
(All of the pictures in this post were taken in the early morning sun.)
I am a 76 year old retired teacher with an avid interest in hiking and photography. I am not a professional photographer, but spend almost every day exploring the natural world, taking pictures and honing my skills. When I review the pictures I have taken, I love researching information about the things I have found-- and then sharing my results with others. The time I have spent walking in the woods (including 4 months on the Appalachian Trail at 68) has always been somewhat therapeutic. When I added photography to the mix a few years ago, it quadrupled the therapeutic effect! Opening pictures on my computer at the end of the day is like opening presents. There are always surprises! It allows me to see so many details that were not visible to my naked eye! I have learned so many new things about birds and bugs, reptiles and mammals that I never knew before--and I have also found, that when I share with others, I invariably learn something new!
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2 thoughts on “Racing the Sun”
All your photos are great but I love that spiderweb. Wish I could get myself moving early and take a walk.
All your photos are great but I love that spiderweb. Wish I could get myself moving early and take a walk.
Getting out early is definitely worth the effort– but that’s easy for me to say because I’m a very morning person!