Why I Love Early Mornings...

Folks who see my photos, especially on Facebook posts , have remarked that most of my photos seem to be taken early in the morning. That has been generally correct, especially over the last ten months. I've always been an early riser, which certainly helps. With the COVID-19 pandemic, going out early in the morning certainly helps maintain social distancing, as one finds very few other people out early in the morning, with the exception of a few joggers and people walking their dogs.

However, that's not the only reason. I really like the quality of light early in the morning. I generally start out once civil twilight has begun, so there's enough light to shoot without use of a tripod. As the photo below shows, the lighting can be quite dramatic:

Crescent Moon over Mission Peak

Then as the light builds, and if there are clouds at the right position and height, you can get some really nice colors in the sky:

Alameda Creek Before Daybreak

Lagos los Osos with East Bay Hills in the Background

Mission Peak in the DIstance, with Lagos los Osos Reflections in the Foreground

This last photo also highlights another potential advantage of going out early in the morning - lack of wind. While not gauranteed, at least in my local area, I have found that the wind is much lighter early in the morning than later in the day. SInce I love taking photos taht incoorporate reflections, lack of wind is key to getting such shots.

Angler on Horseshoe Lake (Quarry Lakes Regional Recreational Area)

The other big reason to get out early in the morning is that wildlife is more active in the morning and late afternoon, than in the middle of the day. Also as a transitional time, one has an opportunity to catch wildlife that is more active at night or you would never see in the middle of the day,as there's too much hman activity: