The Gift

 This morning I planned to go to the local lake to see the visiting pelicans.  A friend had let me borrow his 

f 2.8 70-200mm lens, and I wanted to try some captures with the birds in motion.  Of course I peeked down the street and into the farm fields to gauge what was happening with the sun.  The day before there had been tremendous, and like a magnet, the potential with the fog and rising sun to create something fantastic was there.  I drove by in my car, and sat looking in from the new streets of the development.  Once the sun started breaking through, and this time in full force, the field became a glowing orb of orange gold.  The surrounding trees stayed blue and ready, but within the area came alive with color.

I have images with just the large tree and the sun, but it is this one giving a sense of the expansion that says more.

Worship

I ran back to the tree line with the moss when I saw the splinter of orange light coming through the clouds and fog.  I moved back and forth to prepare, to look, and absorb the look of the Spanish moss in the tree limbs.  I was preparing for something, knew to look and go towards it. When the sun burst through I was spellbound by the light being held by the air, and as it became brighter I put my arms out wide like the trees and breathed.  I heard one of my father's favorite sayings, "I'm high on life!", that he exclaimed during special moments.  Actually I should say I felt the words as the sun continued to light up the sky and everything amped up the beauty around me.  I cried, too, because the feelings were so strong and the scene so powerful.

Somehow in a state of awe I photographed a collection of images I call "Worship".  The trees limbs reach up like arms to the sky as if celebrating.  I didn't see the effects of placing the sun behind the center trunk until viewing them at home with the center tree trunk in the darkest shadow and the limbs in the light.  The first image is shared because it is the burst of light that first illuminated the space.  I selected the second because the sky and intricacies of the trees are visible, as well as a feeling of the fog in the air.  I have others that I'm still brewing on, and these could all possibly switch around.  Right now, these two represent the moment with the sun.

The beginning

It was a work day for me, and I was up early with some "extra" time.  Sparkle wanted to walk, and I usually need to delay taking her out on one until my return home.  This day we head out, and when I looked down the street to see fog mixed with purple and pinks, I worried about getting back in time for my day.  We trekked in for a bit, and approached very slowly as to soak in what was happening in front of us.  The colors were brilliant and beautiful, and the feeling sacred.


Unfortunately my kit lens had totally become dysfunctional while away during the holidays, but I had figured out how to use the full range of wide angle by putting the camera into video mode.  Sure, focusing was hit or miss through the backing screen, but it was good to be able to use something to record the image.  I found it very frustrating, but reminded myself that it was good to have something.


On this day the construction workers were arriving as I exited through the area being developed, and I stopped one more time to turn around and look at the scene.  The sun still hadn't broken through, but it showed glimmers of itself through the clouds and fog.  I was so excited about this that I must have been making a fool of myself.  They watched me probably wondering what the heck I was doing, so I held out my arms to the scene and shared my excitement.  One of these days I'll be brave enough to go over to them to take a few pictures because they're part of this story, too.