Watching the New Day Dawning

Photographing the pre-dawn sky along the coast of New Hampshire is challenging. Because the chilly ocean temperatures  - even in summer - often result in weak (or non-existent) cloud formations over the water, most mornings I walk away empty handed.

Without some clouds in the sky, there will be no interesting color.

The morning pictured above turned out to be the best session I had all last summer. It was also one of the few times I actually shot the sun coming up; typically I do all my work prior to the sun making its entrance because that's when the colors are more vibrant.

While the "keeper" image that day included the sun in the composition, I liked the color in the sky here, about 30 minutes prior to sunrise. This is just a snapshot, but I wanted to share with you what a pretty morning it was. 

Whether or not I get an image, the passage above from Ecclesiastes aptly conveys what I feel every time I'm working at the shoreline in the pre-dawn. It's exhilarating to watch the sky lighten and the lobster boats head out, to see color paint the clouds, and to see the day begin.

How sweet, indeed.