I’ve learned that landscape photography puts you into some interesting situations.  If you really want a certain shot, you have to be willing to look a little crazy!  I’ve been wanting a sunrise shot over Lake Hamilton for awhile but wasn’t quite sure where to go.  I used my favorite website, SunCalc, to see where the sunrise was coming from this time of year.  I guessed that the boat dock for the Clarion Hotel would be ideal so I headed that way when I noticed the great cloud formations in the sky this morning.  People really underestimate the time and effort that goes into planning landscape shoots!  …

Ok, so the crazy part.  I had appointments scheduled for the day (I’m a financial adviser) so I was wearing my suit.  So, I end up standing out on a hotel’s dock at 7:00 AM wearing my suit and freezing my tail off as it was near freezing!  I’m sure anyone who saw me was wondering if I had lost my mind.  I stayed out there for about 30 minutes praying nobody would call the police and waiting for the right light.  I like what I ended up with!  Of all my shots, my fave is the one above with the dock in the foreground.  I love how all the layers of clouds produced such a variety of light colors and patterns.  The reflection just seems to enhance it even more.

God has surrounded us with beauty that we so easily take for granted.  What I love about photography is that it forces me to slow down, breathe, and take in all of this beauty.

Here are some other shots that I didn’t like as well.  Each has its own unique feel, however.

The shot below was before the sun had come up.  I kinda like the blue tones…

This one is a long-exposure shot.  I forgot to bring my cable release so I couldn’t get the right exposure.  I wish I could have seen what a 1 minute exposure would have looked like.

The next one lacks the dock as a foreground element.  To me, the dock just created a more interesting composition.