(This post originally published in October 2010)
My last kayak outing was a wonderful morning. Not only was I able to capture some nice Wood Duck (Aix sponsas) flight shots, but an incredible sunrise developed right in front of my eyes. First, there was some unexpected fog present as I launched the kayak into the water. Second, in addition to the rising fog/steam off the water, we were also starting to get some sporadic clouds into the area. Combining all that, as the sun peeked up over the horizon, an incredible scene developed right in front of my eyes … the sky looked like it literally was on fire! With this setup, all I wished for was some ducks or raptors to fly in front of me, among the “flames”. It wasn’t long and my wish was granted! Here are a couple of images made that morning, as some Wood Ducks flew about the area in search of a good landing spot:
As you can see, this was quite a sight! In fact, this reminds me of some of the sunrises I have experienced at Bosque del Apache, in New Mexico … only with Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese. I just love to see fog, especially during sunrise; when things work together, you can often get the “light scattering” effect of the gorgeous early morning light as it hits the fog … a Blazin’ Good Time for the photographer!