Morning Mist

— I often say that one thing that distinguishes amateur from professional photographers is that the latter gets up early to catch the best light. I fall in the former category. I am not one to wake up in the middle of the night and hike to a location to await for sunrise. That is why you will not see here photos of the Milky Way, for example. I firmly believe — and practice! — that night time is for sleeping. By the same token, I do not like to get up very early. For me, the best way to wake up is with natural light.

This past week I spent three days at Lake Bastrop South Shore, just forty-five minutes from my house in Austin. Although we could not stay in one of our favorite lakefront cabins (perfect for the views and sunsets), we were able to get cabins on the other side of the Lake Bastrop. That allowed us to see the sun rise very easily. On two consecutive mornings, I was able to meditate right by the lake with only the sounds of birds and coots. This cabin location also allowed me to see the sunrise and its effect on the lake, including beautiful colors. On this particular morning when I made the shot above, the mist was beginning to rise slowly, creating an otherworldly view of the area. Although it is not visible in the photo, the lakefront cabins are right there hidden among the trees and shadows. Having that coot swimming by itself gave me the composition I wanted for this photo. With scenes like this, it is not hard to see why I like this park so much. And I did not even have to get up early to capture this scene!