I call this one “Will the Gate Open?” because that’s literally the question I whispered to myself the entire drive over. Stressing out the entire time, trying to talk myself out of it. Nahhhh, I should just go somewhere else. I'm acting like a fool for doing this and leaving my bed at this ungodly hour. My Gramma always said, "nothing good happens after midnight,' but what if I just woke up and am chasing a photo I want to make?
Fort Williams Park usually runs on a sunrise-to-sunset schedule, but every local photographer knows there’s a bit of mystery baked into those hours. Sometimes the gate opens early, sometimes a little late, and sometimes you arrive in the dark and just have to sit there, waiting, hoping today is your day.
That morning I rolled up long before dawn, the world still completely black. Zero color rising on the horizon. I parked by the gate and waited, watching the seconds tick by on my dashboard clock like I was waiting for a lottery result. I knew the moon would rise well before the gate would open, but maybe, just maybe it'll still be dark enough and low enough for the type of shots I want when the gate opens.
Thankfully, the lovely folks at the local police department were on the early side. An officer pulled up not too long after, swung the gate open, and suddenly the whole park was mine in the quiet pre-sunrise dark. I was so excited, I leaned out the window and sang THANK YOU with the widest smile. I don't think he had had his coffee yet, and I'm sure now looking back that I was way too loud. No doubt he had to shake his head at another crazy photographer up too early in the morning. Hey, sir, I really appreciated you!
I threw my car into park, grabbed my gear, and I hustled out to the shoreline farthest away in the park to catch the crescent moon lifting, delicate and glowing. Also so friggin bright compared to the rest of the scene. Not easy to photo. I played with my settings and took a hundred or so photos while playing with different settings and compositions. That time of morning is incredibly peaceful. I'm not a morning person and used to have a bit of an early bird hangover while chasing sunrises because of the early alarm time. I called it sunrise sickness as it would take me days if not a week to recover, sometimes even getting sick! I'm very glad to have grown out of it since it really is worth it every time.
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I call this one “Will the Gate Open?” because that’s literally the question I whispered to myself the entire drive over. Stressing out the entire time, trying to talk myself out of it. Nahhhh, I should just go somewhere else. I'm acting like a fool for doing this and leaving my bed at this ungodly hour. My Gramma always said, "nothing good happens after midnight,' but what if I just woke up and am chasing a photo I want to make?
Fort Williams Park usually runs on a sunrise-to-sunset schedule, but every local photographer knows there’s a bit of mystery baked into those hours. Sometimes the gate opens early, sometimes a little late, and sometimes you arrive in the dark and just have to sit there, waiting, hoping today is your day.
That morning I rolled up long before dawn, the world still completely black. Zero color rising on the horizon. I parked by the gate and waited, watching the seconds tick by on my dashboard clock like I was waiting for a lottery result. I knew the moon would rise well before the gate would open, but maybe, just maybe it'll still be dark enough and low enough for the type of shots I want when the gate opens.
Thankfully, the lovely folks at the local police department were on the early side. An officer pulled up not too long after, swung the gate open, and suddenly the whole park was mine in the quiet pre-sunrise dark. I was so excited, I leaned out the window and sang THANK YOU with the widest smile. I don't think he had had his coffee yet, and I'm sure now looking back that I was way too loud. No doubt he had to shake his head at another crazy photographer up too early in the morning. Hey, sir, I really appreciated you!
I threw my car into park, grabbed my gear, and I hustled out to the shoreline farthest away in the park to catch the crescent moon lifting, delicate and glowing. Also so friggin bright compared to the rest of the scene. Not easy to photo. I played with my settings and took a hundred or so photos while playing with different settings and compositions. That time of morning is incredibly peaceful. I'm not a morning person and used to have a bit of an early bird hangover while chasing sunrises because of the early alarm time. I called it sunrise sickness as it would take me days if not a week to recover, sometimes even getting sick! I'm very glad to have grown out of it since it really is worth it every time.
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