My hand slowly reached over to stop the ringing alarm on my phone. I opened my groggy eyes to discover that once again, it was 5 a.m. The sun would arrive soon enough. It was time yet again to go discover.
The hotel room was pitch dark, and I carefully and quietly walked to get my shoes.
Half awake, my body seemed to be pulled to the covered window and my arm reached for the window like I was a puppet.
I soon found my hands gripping the heavy wooden panels covering the windows. I slid one side open.
CREEEEEEEEEEEEEKK.
The right open side revealed dazzling light. My groggy eyes were wide open now. My excitement slammed the left one open.
CRAAAAAAAAAAAAASH.
Most captivating scenes stem from effort and a deep desire to explore.
All this scene required was for me to pull myself out of a dream to see something more unbelievable.
All it took was to look out the window, just feet from my cozy bed.
The clouds were passing through the sky and the water made the ocean reflection dance. If you step back or squint, it sort of looks like an angel.
The window was fully open and the sounds and smells of the ocean cemented this sensory overload.
My night vision set in fully and I ran to get my camera. I didn’t even need my tripod—I created one from pillows. I stuck it out the window, using these perfectly placed railings to make my camera perfectly still. I used my remote shutter and snapped picture after picture after picture. After picture.
Then it appeared—an amazing scene illuminated by the perfect placement of the moon and a clearing of the clouds to allow this amazing show.
The clouds danced around the moon for awhile until finally they covered it up completely and the scene was gone.
This, my friends, is what only a few minutes make in the world of photography. It is exhilarating and nerve-racking.
Moon light is particularly difficult to shoot in, but I was happy to grab various images to create this one.
I get sick thinking that I could have easily missed this vivid reality behind the wooden shade. But instead I said good-bye to comfort and hello to exploration.
