Morning Walk

“An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”
― Henry David Thoreau

I was never much of a morning person before I became a photographer.  Early on, I learned that in landscape photography, early morning light and late afternoon light are often most pleasing to illuminate subjects.  What I have discovered, through the years, is that mornings offer things that afternoons never could.

Many of my photography excursions begin when most are sleeping.  This not only allows me to take advantage of the early morning and sunrise light, but also allows me time to explore the world without many distractions.  Usually I encounter few, if any people during my early morning photography sessions.  There is quite a sense of peace in having the world to yourself if only for a brief period of time.

Additionally, I have found many conditions that I enjoy photographing in are only present in the early morning hours.

This past weekend, Randy, Maui and I set off for a morning adventure.  Our destination was Roan Mountain as we had not been there in a while.  I always seem to find great subjects to photograph there.

We started our adventure before sunrise, but did not leave early enough to be on Roan by sunrise.  The week  had taken a toll, so I wasn’t up to the 3:00 a.m. wake up that would have been necessary to be at our location in time to witness sunrise there.  Luckily, we just happened to be near an overlook when the sun rose.

As we got closer to our destination, I was hopeful that we might encounter rime ice.  Rime ice forms when moisture from clouds or fog freezes on trees, plants, or other surfaces.  It certainly turned out to be our lucky morning!

Once we began our walk from the Carvers Gap parking lot to the top of Round Bald, we got to witness a “winter” wonderland.

On top of Round Bald, the conditions were extremely windy, as they often are.  It was worth being uncomfortable to take in the beauty that presented itself to us.

As we made our way back to the car before lunch time, we were thankful for an incredible morning exploring nature’s beauty together.  The rime ice was already melting and the magic was quickly disappearing.

The next time you are up for an adventure, be sure to become a morning person!