DAY 34

NATURE & LANDSCAPES

Sunrise

FIRST COLORS OF THE DAY

Few things in life rival a colorful sunrise in the American countryside—mist curling up from a farmer’s field, early rays of the sun peeking through wispy clouds and illuminating the surroundings with a golden glow, and trees in the foreground and background thrown into silhouette.

Imagination runs wild. What could possibly be in those trees? Are deer hiding under their branches, silently waiting to enter the field for an early-morning snack? You continue to wonder as you watch the fog swirl, changing from red, to gold, to yellow, knowing that in a few minutes those vivid hues will fade.

You rush to set up your camera. Although a tripod isn’t a strict necessity, because there’s plenty of light to take the shot hand-held, you decide to do it right. You mount the camera on the tripod, take a reading with your in-camera meter, set the self-timer to 10 seconds to prevent camera shake from ruining the shot, press the shutter button, and stand back. —WTD