At the end of each year, I take stock in what I’ve learned, lost, experienced and captured through my camera lens. I remember friendships and family, vacations and photography trips. All have their wins and losses, lessons learned and opportunities to make memories.
Many of my memories flood back as I review new images I’ve captured since January. This sunrise is one of my new favorites.
I had a photographer friend, Cheryl Stewart, call to ask if I wanted to join her on an impromptu trip to photograph the northern lights that were visible in parts of Tennessee in May. I said yes, and we left two hours later. We packed quickly, met in Lebanon and got on the road to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
It was going to be the last night forecasters had predicted we might be able to see the lights in East Tennessee. We chose Cades Cove and arrived just before dark. We found a few other photographers and tourists gazing up at the night sky. It was clear, but we never saw the northern lights that night.
While we didn’t get what we set out to shoot, we found so much more in just a few hours. We saw numerous bears with cubs, experienced the cove as night settled across the valley, photographed one of the cove’s churches at night and viewed thousands of stars you can’t see when you live close to large cities with light pollution.
The next morning, we left the hotel before sunrise to get to my favorite location on the Foothills Parkway just west of Townsend. Sunrise did not disappoint. As the clouds began to break up and the sunlight hit them, the colors rapidly changed from the blue hue of twilight to the rich purples, oranges and reds of sunrise.
For all of us, each year brings unexpected victories and challenges. This trip that lasted less than 24 hours reminded me to appreciate every minute, take every opportunity that is given to you and say yes to impromptu photography adventures.
I wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season with many new and unexpected adventures in the new year.
