Day 295: Always alternatives...

In photography, as with most things in life, you have to be ready for the unexpected.  Unlike my fellow photographers who specialize in portraits, as a landscape photographer I don't have to contend with moody teenagers, pimply faces, fly-away hair or finding the most flattering pose for someone.  My biggest challenge is Mother Nature herself.  Last night and early this morning we were suppose to be able to see a meteor shower.  I was all set to capture some amazing night sky shots with streaking meteors racing across the sky but as we awoke at 3:00AM this morning we were greeted with a blanket of cloud cover that pretty much wiped out any possibility of getting any good shots of the sky. 

So, what to do?  We decided to bag it and climb back into bed.  There will always be other opportunities.  I managed to get another couple hours of sleep before waking up shortly after 5:00.  I had the "brilliant" idea of going out to capture some sunrise photos.  Now yesterday would've perfect with a nice mixture of rolling clouds and clear sky.  I thought this morning would've been the same but as I made my way out to some rural areas outside Thornton I noticed that the cloud cover that obscured the meteor shower was quickly dissipating and sunrise wasn't about to happen for at least an hour.  Sure, the sun looks great all by herself but without any clouds it lacks any dramatic feel which was what I was hoping for.  But perseverance is my middle name and I decided to gut it out.  It was a bit chilly, even wrapped up in a hoody and heavy jacket so the sunrise couldn't come soon enough.  Sunset and sunrise pictures in the winter are great because the sun sets early in the afternoon and rises late in the morning so there's no sacrificing sleep.  The only bad trade off is that it's usually freezing at those times.  Well, dress for the occasion. 


So here are a couple shots from this morning.  It was pretty nice out there and, Mother Nature, thanks for cooperating.  We'll see you next time.  Hopefully you'll still be in a good mood.