Last week, Jim and I joined a few of our photography friends for some sunrise photography at Loughman Lake in Mims, Florida.  It is quite a spectacular location early in the morning.  Nature is just starting to wake up, it is calm, quiet and very peaceful.  You quickly forget about your long to-do list, what may be going on in the news and it helps put everything in proper perspective.  It is a wonderful way to start your day.  

For photographers, you will find several different subjects to include in your foreground and when you capture them as a silhouette, your images will really stand out.  At this location, you will find palm trees, narrow strips of land and various birds.

When I took this image, I was thinking about the three photographers who were busy focusing on their subjects.  I thought this would make an interesting story.  I was able to capture the beautiful light, the various layers and tell a story at the same time.

When I do go out with other photographers, I make it a point to go right when they go left.  I prefer to go in the opposite direction from the group as this forces me to look at the scene in a different way.  It is a great way to practice ‘thinking outside the box’.  Later, when everyone has moved on, I may try to shoot a few images from their location.

It is not easy to get up early in the morning, especially if you have a long drive ahead of you; however, the light can be quite beautiful and you never know, that may be the morning that you get that once in a lifetime shot.

This image was taken using my Nikon D850, Nikkor 28-300mm, F16, ISO 100, exposure compensation -1.0, shutter speed 1s

Judy Hardiman