Early Rising
I love to be out in the natural world early in the morning. I don’t necessarily enjoy the sound of an alarm going off at too-dark o’clock, but when I am in front of a scene being bathed by early light, I feel blessed. It is like I am at the dawn of creation, in a sense, but of course, the creation of a new day. As the light comes over the horizon, the scene in front of you constantly changes as light moves across the scene, changing what is bright or shadow minute by minute.
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
That has always been a favorite verse of mine, and standing in front of nature as the sun reveals its beauty is truly a time to rejoice and be glad in the day, and be glad for this stunning world we live in. At these early times I feel both excited and at peace as I focus my camera on a constantly changing scene from the light hitting new places as the sun rises.
This is a chaparral yucca blooming in the Santa Monica Mountains not long after sunrise. This yucca sometimes has a common name of Our Lord’s Candle because early settlers thought it looked like a large candle flame above the brush covered hills. This early morning scene is almost like seeing a candle lit in front of a great space of natural life.
— Rob Sheppard