Coming…

…first in a series.


I’ve been fascinated during a fortnight of sunrises – in between blowing into my hands, and stamping my feet to keep warm – in the variety of ways the sun makes her appearance. For me, the best bits are usually before she actually dances onto the stage, and there are so many things to look out for, to capture if possible, or simply just to appreciate.

In Scotland we rarely see the same sunrise scene twice – the clouds make all the difference, but even subtle changes in the atmosphere will make subtle differences in the colour and the intensity of the light as the sun gets closer to the horizon. Golden edges appear on clouds, only to disappear seconds later, bright rays shine through thick dark cloud – up into the sky, or down to spotlight portions of field and hill. It’s a smorgasbord ah tell you!

I’m always looking for the point where the horizon will be breached but there is usually something…often a better something…. happening further along the horizon, on underlit clouds far above us, or behind us, and so it becomes a fully immersive 3D experience. I struggle to keep my eyes peeled in every direction, and swing the camera round on it’s tripod to catch some of the action.

I’ve always enjoyed taking slices out of the scene with a long lens, isolating a single portion which encapsulates the moment. So begins a wee series of these moments, at the start of our day, to celebrate how unique each of them is. Sometimes subtle, sometimes delicate, sometimes brash and in your face….

This is from Blackford Hill, pointing straight at where she’ll appear with a rush of piercing light and an orchestral fanfare. You can almost feel the drama….