Time of year and time of day can have such an impact on a photo. Back in May we visited “Little Cut” with Rachel (notice the shameless mention of Rachel in order to garner a larger viewership) where we did a sunrise shoot then and got some very nice photos. The scene below was captured a little while after the sun rose. I really liked the composition with the plants in the lower right, then looking off into the distance to see the orange beehives and then the purple cliffs. I also really liked the colors of the rocks. Overall, it was a win in my book.

Sunrise produces spectacular oranges, pinks and greens at Little Cut

Sunrise produces spectacular oranges, pinks and greens at Little Cut

Fast forward to yesterday. It was considerably colder than May – I’d say about 40 degrees colder. We bundled up in our winter coats, gloves and hats and set off for a repeat visit. The only thing missing was Rachel (I’m not at all sorry for this mention). I wanted to find the spot I had shot in May and reshoot it in December. After a few moments, we located the spot.  I set up my tripod and camera. Now all I had to do was wait for the sun to rise, illuminating the plants, beehives and cliffs in the distance. Since I had some time, I decided to shoot the scene in the pre-dawn.

Pre-dawn can produce beautiful sky, vibrant oranges and pinks.

Pre-dawn can produce beautiful sky, vibrant oranges and pinks.

Boy was I rewarded with amazing colors in the sky, the orange beehives and the subtle purple of the distant cliffs.  The mood of the shot is drastically different from the shot in May.  Very satisfied, I hunkered down to wait for the sun. After waiting impatiently, the sun finally showed itself. As soon as the plant lit up I started to shoot. Unfortunately, the shots were not what I had hoped.  Because of the position of the sun, my tripod cast a shadow right over the plants.  I also cast a shadow.  I easily removed myself by setting the self-timer on the camera and sprinting away (yes, I actually sprinted). But I could not get rid of the tripod shadow due to the sun being right behind me instead of off to the side as it was back in May. Failure!  Good thing I shot the scene in pre-dawn. I call this shot: “Failure at Little Cut.”

This pesky tripod legs. There was nothing I could do about them.

This pesky tripod legs. There was nothing I could do about them.

Thanks for stopping by and remember, its all about the light, regardless of its position!