4/21/23 - Droplets & Dawn Musings

I woke up this morning just before dawn. I stepped out into the wintry cold air to leave a pee on the apple tree. Peeing outside is one of the many joys of homesteading. The sun was breaking through some fog, and whoa! It was getting good!

I ran in to grab my camera, rushing back out. I was wearing underwear, flipflops and a flannel shirt. It didnt matter. I was alive and in love with the view. When the light is right, one must react, or miss it.

I turned my camera on, and the low battery red light blinked indifferently at me, but no matter… “maybe one good image,” I thought.

The first thing that i noticed were the drips on the apple tree from the night’s rain, sleet, snow or whatever was falling.

If you can get close enough to a water droplet on the end of a branch, you can see the world flip upside down in the eye of the droplet.

I moved in slow. The branches mostly about head height. Its a careful dance to get an inch away from a droplet without disturbing it. It's easy to bump a branch without trying. I tried some images, then angled the lens downward to put the droplet against the sunrise and fog.

The cold made it hard. I noticed it. I felt my body beginning to quiver. It’s hard to make macro photos while shaking. But, nothing to do about it. I had to try.

Pure magic.

The thing about dawn is it is hard to predict when magic light will happen. One could wake up ten dawns in a row and be disappointed by the light only to be blown away on the eleventh.

I don’t deliberately try to get up at dawn for photographic dances. I go the Zen route… If I’m up and it’s intriguing, I react instantly, and take photos in the wintry embrace wearing only underpants and a smile.

On occasion, the art is good. More often, the art of trying is even better. And if all else fails, my coffee is excellent and hot.