Even in the summertime I'm typically up and at work before the sun rises in the morning. In the shorter days of the fall and winter, it's practically guaranteed the sun won't put in an appearance until I've been up and at it for a while.

A couple of days ago I was at my company's trailer drop lot, 20km on the way down to Tokyo, when I spotted what struck me as a very beautiful gradation of colors in the moments before the sun poked it's face above the horizon. So I leaned out the window and snapped a couple of quick shots before getting on about my business.

The vast profusion of high voltage lines all over the area where I live normally turns me off to shooting landscapes; I just can't get away from the damned things. The little black blob in the sky is either a raven or a hawk out on dawn patrol in search of breakfast.




S-M-C Takumar 105/2.8

[distorted_vision]

awesome pics mate... the colours are beautiful

[J.Scott]

Wicked colours Mike! I have always tried to avoid powerlines in my pictures but that definitely works. (BTW you have a couple of dust blobs on your sensor that are obvious in both shots.)

It just occurred to me what you have, Mike. You have what seems to be an innate ability to turn the everyday and ordinary into once-in-a-lifetime and extraordinary. Even if I don't comment on every picture you display I really do enjoy them. Thank you.

[vievetrick]

Agree with Jeff. These are things some see all the time but never shoot. I prefer #2 great work thanks for sharing.

[NaClH2O]

Thanks for sharing Mike. I think the second shot is especially evocative.

NaCl(one of those man/nature juxtapositions, but much better than most)H2O

[Peter Zack]

I'd have to mirror Jeff's comments. You do have that ability to take an ordinary scene and turn it into something worth keeping. That second shot above is great. Makes me rethink my choices sometimes. I most likely would have passed on this because of the power lines but both of these are great shots. I particularly like how the tower in the second shot is like a colour scale. The further up you go, the darker the sky gets and the trees act as a nice anchor.

Time to get out the blower brush!!

[Fritz]

Both these shots have a wonderful graduation in the colors. Stunning.

And yes a few dust blobs, oh well. You can get rid of those if you want. But as the others have said, I always enjoy your shots, even if I don't have time to comment.

[raz-0]

Just FYI, these images respond with some eye popping colors with some level adjustment in photoshop.

[J.Scott]

Just FYI, these images respond with some eye popping colors with some level adjustment in photoshop.

Like this.... ?

[hinckc]

So _that's_ why it's called the land of the rising sun.... you actually get better sunrises than the rest of us! Fantastic colors!

I guess I can't say that for sure, since I'm so rarely up at this time of day.....


-Chris

[Mike Cash]

Thanks to all for the very kind comments. I do tend to specialize in the mundane, don't I?

The only excuse I have for not spotting the dust blobs in the photo is that my monitor is often festooned with dust blobs of its own and if I forget to vertically scroll a photo I tend not to notice that the problem is in the photo instead of something that Windex and a paper towel would fix.

Any anytime anyone would like to play around with post processing any picture I have posted, please feel free to do so. I will be glad to provide better versions of files if desired.