Early Morning

It’s a rough time of the year, the approach to the solstice. Sleep comes slowly, and what little to be found is fitful.

It’s too bright out. It never really feels like bedtime. It seems like I should be out doing something.

The image above: taken at 5:30 in the morning.  The sun had risen about an hour earlier, but was still at a sharp angle.  You’re looking directly north, with the sun at NNE. I was awake at 3:30 that morning, and it was already starting to get light…

Late Winter Sunrise, in HDR

Here’s the thing: the sun is low, and for quite a while.  It’s spreading those pinkish-purplish hues all over – and to that side, it’s nothing but snow & ice fields.  That lovely, lovely light just bounces all over the place.  And if there are clouds, it bounces right back down, with an incredible display of color.

Alpenglow, locals call it.

Late last week, that was going on all over the place. Caught a bit of it, although late – the price of responsibility, I suppose.  Still, with HDR & some manipulation, I got close.

The truth-in-advertising section: when the reds were there, they were much more red and less orange.  Brighter, but deeper.  By the time I managed to capture the image, it was lighter – turning to a pinkish-purplish pastel.  By merging HDR, I recaptured the intensity, but it overdid the color on the mountains.  Desat there & we’re getting closer to the reality.

But playing around, and I liked this the most.  You’re looking at O’Malley Peak, over Anchorage, Alaska.

Sunrise in HDR

Originally posted (today, in fact) to Flickr.  The more I look at this, the more I like it.  It’s not without faults – he home is a bit off-kilter and oversaturated, and the trees could use some aligning, but overall I’m quite pleased.  The reds in the leaves are wonderful, the sky is alight as I would like it to be, and the sharpness is spot on exactly where I wanted it to be.

Check it out on Flickr in the full size for maximum effect.