Into The Mist

When the sun rose from behind a wooded area at the edge of this bog, it highlighted one particular tree and made the surrounding fog glow.

The British band "Book Of Birds" chose this image for the cover artwork of their CD entitled "Luthiern Lullabies". Lead singer Robert McCracken said he wanted to use the photo because "it projects a warmth that suits the music". The CD is available on iTunes.

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The interplay between the warm sunlight and dense fog as the sun rose made the tones and color, particularly on the water, vary from minute to minute. To demonstrate just how quickly the light was changing, my photograph "Autumn Mist" (also in this portfolio) was made only a few minutes later at the same location. However, in that short period of time the deep yellow coloration of the light had passed. What remained was just as beautiful, only different.

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It can sometimes be difficult to get out of bed and be on location for sunrise. But it was well worth getting up before dawn on this particular day. The water, the islands, the fog, and the sun all came together to make an unforgettably quiet and peaceful morning.

The light was changing rapidly and this photo was taken only minutes after the photograph "Purple Morning", which can also be seen in this portfolio.

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This sunrise at Oconaluftee Overlook in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most beautiful I have ever witnessed, though it certainly didn't start out that way.

When I arrived at the overlook, the sky seemed quite densely 'fogged in'. It didn't appear likely that I would be able to make any interesting photographs from the location, but it was too late to move on and so I 'stuck it out' with hopes that perhaps the fog would at least partially lift as the sun came up. What developed was unexpected and exhilarating. Over the next few minutes, a little sliver of clearing continued to open and I was treated to a truly moving experience. The cloud cover was such that there were a number of "God Rays" that emerged and, one by one, they swept and danced rhythmically along one side of the mountain, down into the valley, and back up the other side in a spectacle that was akin to a laser light show, only better!

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What a morning! The fog was starting to burn off, the horizon was turning pink, and the air itself seemed purple! The feeling of being alive and awake while the rest of the world was still sleeping filled my mind. I hope you can feel that in this photograph.

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This small area of unnamed marsh is located right along the road that goes through Western Pennsylvania’s Moraine State Park. On most days, the location really looks quite ordinary. Some might even call it dreary. However, in the autumn, the sun rises from directly behind these trees and on a cool foggy morning the light and fog can transform this spot into something magical.

Sadly, this area has dried up and is no longer a marsh. But through photographic alchemy it can remain a reminder of what once was.

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If you wake up early in the town of Coos Bay on the Oregon Coast, you can watch the tugboats going down the Coos River and into the bay. On this particular morning, the air seemed heavy and the silence was only intermittently broken by the sound of the tug’s horn. The fog and the rising sun made a beautiful backdrop on which to watch this tugboat do its work.

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The fog and mist dampens everything. The sounds are all low in frequency. The light is diffused. The water is still. Then the sun rises, the fog slowly burns off, and you can tell that it’s the start of a new day.

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This image was made at Pete’s Lake in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, only minutes after Yellow Morning, which is also part of this “Into The Mist” portfolio. The light was changing quickly, but the presence of the mist and fog persisted for some time. There were some wooden benches here, which invited me to sit for a few minutes and enjoy the quiet peacefulness of the location.

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