First Light at Two Medicine Lake, Glacier National Park

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You know that feeling when you were a kid on Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanza/<insert holiday here> morning and you were up before everyone else waiting in anticipation to get/open your gift(s)? While visiting Glacier National Park earlier in the year I had that feeling every morning. Much like Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanza/<insert holiday here> morning I woke up too early on the day I took this photo of first light at Two Medicine Lake. I got in to place to photograph sunrise an hour too early and being rather groggy it took me about 30 minutes to figure out why the sun wasn’t coming up as expected.

I’d much rather wake up an hour too early than an hour too late. In this instance I took the extra hour to just enjoy my surroundings even if temporarily confused by the lack of appearance of the sun. The highlight of sunrise was seeing the first rays of light filter through the atmosphere painting the face of Sinopah Mountain a deep red and magenta. Unfortunately this moment passed much too quickly. Thinking back to how it felt to see, experience and photograph this location I’m reminded of the cold clean air, silence and intense awe that came over me as the light falling over this scene transformed the landscape. In retrospect I’m not surprised I find myself waking up extra early to photograph such scenes as I live to experience every minute of these moments.

Technorati Tags: landscape, photography, stock photo, fine art, Glacier National Park, nature, Two Medicine Lake, Sinopah Mountain

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Posted by Jim on 11.19.2009 at 12:01 am
Tagged: Glacier National Park, Landscape, Locations, Montana, Nature, Photography, Stock Photo , Fine Art, Landscape, National Park, Nature, Photography, Stock Photos

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woodfog

I like the blue sky.

jimgoldstein

Thanks for the kind comments everyone. It was quite an experience to witness such stillness.

@Henry there are few places like the American West. The landscape is so grand it calls to be photographed.

@Pat I wholeheartedly agree. I can't get enough of this time of day.

hpc

You're right there. I spent a few months there about 3 years ago. I won't forget the amazing light in the Grand Canyon, ever! I teach on a few Photography Holidays around the world and I'll definitely be recommending this blog to my students who are always asking me about good photography sites!

Pat Ulrich

Really beautiful! There truly is something so magical about the pre-dawn time of the day -- its magnetism is great enough to make me get up way to early on weekends just to be somewhere when those first rays break over the horizon.

Richard Wong

This came out really well Jim. Nice blues and the reddish glow on the prominent peak. the moon tops it all off.

Henry

Lovely, striking images in this post. I love the sublime grandness of the American West. Reminds me of Eliot Porter and Ansel Adams (my personal God).