While photography is new to me, I knew once I started I'd find my niche. I'd find my addiction. It came across me one day while at work that I'm a morning person, I get up at 3 am normally and have an early start on the day. So why not combine that with my love for photography and try to capture memorable, colorful moments, the sunrise.
While I had researched online many places I eventually want to go one always stuck with me, Dream Lake. It was the one hike that I kept looking at and I'd get lost in the pictures for hours. The way the mountains just curve through endless space with only a clearing a lake. It's simply perfection.
Now I had never gone hiking prior to sunrise and certainly never in winter so I knew for my first endeavor I should try not to go alone. I talked to a coworker and jokingly went "Hey, want to go hiking tomorrow morning at 3 am?" to which he scoffed and nudged aside. A couple hours later I poked him again going "Let's get up here for sunrise" while showing him a picture of Dream Lake. He had already known my passion for photography and was excited to see how this picture could turn out so he softly replied with an "Ok, I'll go". I told him the plan was simple, I'd pick him up at 2 am so we could be to the trailhead by 4/4:30 and would have plenty of time to get up. As long as there was now cloud coverage and we made it before sunrise I'd try my hand at more astrophotography. I can only imagine how crazy that picture would look. One day.
Morning came quick, as I was too excited to sleep and woke up at midnight only to wait and make sure I had everything prepped along with extras for him incase someone forget something. I picked him up promptly at 2 am and we were off. Driving through a mountain range that you don't really know so much from daytime is an eerie experience, seeing shapes in the distance knowing that they're mountains but not sure exactly how big or how far. Same goes for even seeing the road your on. Sure, you can see perfectly fine, but you don't realize the cliff to your left or the huge opening with a breathtaking view you'd come to see on your way out.
Arriving at the trailhead, as an early person myself, I took pride in knowing we were the only people there. We opened our doors to hear and feel the fury of the wind almost like a blizzard just sweeping snow sideways. We gathered our things, made sure we were layered up, and headed out. Following a trail isn't too difficult in the winter months, the snow is packed down from the thousands others who trekked there before you. One thing was different though, the silence of a winters night in the forest. You could hear the trees squeaking as they were pushed by a gust of wind pushing the further than normal. You could only see as far as your flashlight would let you honestly, and with the wind as it was, it created multiple snow drifts covering the trail. It was like playing connect the dots seeing where your trail pauses and finding where it picks back up stepping through knee deep snow.
Finally finding a sign along the trail saying "Dream Lake" you knew we were almost there and boy was I excited. Reaching what I felt like was the lake we kept walking as it appeared there was still a trail to follow, later we'd realize we had just walked across the frozen lake itself. We paused in this unearthly wind and I decided to use a technique I saw on YouTube that you can use to help figure out what your camera frame is angled at night. Or in this case, figure out where exactly you are. You take a 5-10 second exposure and max out your ISO. It'll look terrible, but you'll at least see what you can't see.
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With those, I knew we were there, but it was too cloudy to do my hoped for starry night picture. So with the sunrise still almost an hour away and the wind being brutal beyond belief we decided to hunker down. Finding a log that had been the foundation of a huge snowdrift was our salvation. We rested on the protected side and waited for sunrise. While he tried to nap, I watched The Davinci Code on my phone (it was all I had downloaded). Time went by and surely enough other hikers, but certainly, photographers with the same idea arrived.
As the sun crested over the horizon we all were elated trying to find the perfect spot for our shot. I secured what I believe to be the best due to being first. There were a couple to my right, and 3 others running around to take different angles. Then it happened, the sun started to hit the peaks and you could tell it wouldn't be a clear day due to some clouds and the wind blowing up a storm I sat and hoped for the best. As the sun came further into the sky a ray of pink and orange misted the whole right side of the mountain but lighting everything up. This was it. I took as many pictures as I could knowing all I need is one, but I wanted it to be perfect.
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My First Sunrise
At 8:40 am I got my picture as I'm sure others got theirs, while this beauty of nature was happening I looked around me to see the couple that had been standing me to the right is in the middle of a proposal. With the man down on one knee asking for her hand in marriage she was quick to pull him up with a yes so that they could turn away from the wind. We all gave them our congratulations and went back on our own journeys.
This sunrise did a lot for me, it showed me what you can do when you set your mind to something. How nature can heal you, help you find friends, and give you that peace you always ask for. I am thankful for this adventure and know it's sparked in me the hunger for many, many more.
Finally finding a sign along the trail saying "Dream Lake" you knew we were almost there and boy was I excited. Reaching what I felt like was the lake we kept walking as it appeared there was still a trail to follow, later we'd realize we had just walked across the frozen lake itself. We paused in this unearthly wind and I decided to use a technique I saw on YouTube that you can use to help figure out what your camera frame is angled at night. Or in this case, figure out where exactly you are. You take a 5-10 second exposure and max out your ISO. It'll look terrible, but you'll at least see what you can't see.
With those, I knew we were there, but it was too cloudy to do my hoped for starry night picture. So with the sunrise still almost an hour away and the wind being brutal beyond belief we decided to hunker down. Finding a log that had been the foundation of a huge snowdrift was our salvation. We rested on the protected side and waited for sunrise. While he tried to nap, I watched The Davinci Code on my phone (it was all I had downloaded). Time went by and surely enough other hikers, but certainly, photographers with the same idea arrived.
As the sun crested over the horizon we all were elated trying to find the perfect spot for our shot. I secured what I believe to be the best due to being first. There were a couple to my right, and 3 others running around to take different angles. Then it happened, the sun started to hit the peaks and you could tell it wouldn't be a clear day due to some clouds and the wind blowing up a storm I sat and hoped for the best. As the sun came further into the sky a ray of pink and orange misted the whole right side of the mountain but lighting everything up. This was it. I took as many pictures as I could knowing all I need is one, but I wanted it to be perfect.
At 8:40 am I got my picture as I'm sure others got theirs, while this beauty of nature was happening I looked around me to see the couple that had been standing me to the right is in the middle of a proposal. With the man down on one knee asking for her hand in marriage she was quick to pull him up with a yes so that they could turn away from the wind. We all gave them our congratulations and went back on our own journeys.
This sunrise did a lot for me, it showed me what you can do when you set your mind to something. How nature can heal you, help you find friends, and give you that peace you always ask for. I am thankful for this adventure and know it's sparked in me the hunger for many, many more.
