Photographing throughout Vermont is always enjoyable, peaceful, and fulfilling, especially when you can start the day (or end it) in the woods or the top of some mountain. One seldom-used adjective to describe Vermont photo excursions is comfortable. When you are outdoors, you are always subject to infamous Vermont weather. There is no end to the jokes that circulate about the weather, and in the interest of time (your time), I will list only one here. Vermont winters last ten months, followed by two months of poor skiing conditions. Winter is the biggest culprit and can be brutal, but it’s not the only one. Springtime brings rains and lots of bugs, Summers’ heat can be oppressive, and the bugs are still there. Fall, while spectacular, is often cold, wet, and stormy. It’s not that unusual to experience all four seasons in one day. Experiencing these conditions pre-dawn or post sundown, just adds to the discomfort.
Occasionally, the photography gods throw some sunshine your way and present you with subject-matter and perfectly comfortable conditions. I recently experienced one of these rare gifts and was very thankful. The morning started at 4:20 AM to be ready for a 5:25 AM sunrise. My chosen location requires a short half-hour car ride, followed by a short hike to where I hope to start my morning photography adventure. My hope is the same for each trip, something interesting to photograph in a pleasing light. If I get those two items, I can deal with all the other distractions – the bugs, as mentioned above, and water (the plan was to stand in a lake). When I left the house, the temperature was very comfortable 68 degrees and no breeze whatsoever, so far all good. My hope is that the warm pre-dawn temperature and lack of breeze would allow for the development of misty fog.
As I arrived, the sky was brightening, and even though I was now in the Green Mountains, the favorable conditions were still with me. I made the short hike to my first chosen location and was happy to see lots of mist just waiting for the sun’s golden kiss. I unpacked my camera bag, set up my equipment, and took my position. All that was left to do was wait.
As I stand there, mid-calf deep in water, as ten minutes past I began to realize the bugs were leaving me alone. I am standing at the base of a lake at sunrise, no wind, it’s warm, and I can hear them buzzing well above me, but they seem to have no interest in me. I have bug spray with me, even a full head net if needed. That’s when I began to realize that this might be one of those rare times when everything works in my favor.
Standing there, I began to take stock of my surroundings, it’s warm, requiring just a tee-shirt, there’s no wind, no bugs or at least attacking me, the conditions and compositions look very promising, and nobody else is here. Everything was pointing towards a perfect morning of photography. My comfort level was 100 percent, and all I had to worry about was making sure that my photography choices matched the moment. I had received a gift, and it was up to me to make the most of it. The morning was so beautiful that even if I had not taken the camera out of my bag and just watched the day begin, it would have been just perfect. However, I have a camera, and I am not going to let this opportunity pass.
The light, the compositions, and the elements did not disappoint. I stayed for hours, got my shots, packed up, and headed back for my car and the ride home for breakfast. All the while, I was thinking to myself that I had just experienced the perfect morning. Hopefully, the images match the morning. I felt good, but even if the photos did not measure up, it was still very much worth the effort.
