Sunrise on the Blue Ridge

Well, the Runtyun decided to spend the night with a friend and that allowed me to plan an impromptu sunrise photo-shoot. ...If I could get up early enough to make it happen.

When I finally turned off Netflix, it was about 1130. Sunrise is 615, or so. My mind was racing around trying to plan out what lenses and where to go. What time should I get up to get to...whereever “there” was.

That thought, where to go, stopped everything. The answer, you ask? The Blue Ridge Parkway, but which way to go? First I thought I would go south, the pullouts are closer and more frequent. But, deep down in my heart, I am a Yankee, so North it was.

Well, 4 o'clock came around and my eyes popped open and there was no going back to sleep. I rolled out of bed and put together my kit, including my Father's Day mug 'o coffee from the Runtyun and loaded it all onto the Grinner. Loading it all, or strapping it onto the bike was an interesting feat in the dark, but I got lucky and nothing fell off during the ride, though I need to perfect a plan for the future.

Finally, I made it the the parkway, (Let me just say Town Mountain Road, in the dark, with a wobbly load, is not as much fun as one may think!) and the first 4 or 5 pull outs were either taken by cars, or did not work for me. I was getting a little anxious about time so the next pull out would have to do.

I got off the bike and looked around. Not much color to be seen, except shades of green and nothing much for a subject or perspective. However, the gear was off the bike and I had to own this place and find something interesting. I walked around for about 5 or 10 minutes. I thought, "Sometimes you go out and get nothing.

The coffee was coursing through my veins, so I could not leave.

Then I saw some tall grass sticking up high enough so I could work it to give some perspective to the coming sun and clouds in the distance. I took a couple of shots---here is the best of them.  

I have taken better and more focussed shots. This lens was a Sigma 17-35mm and I wonder if it really as sharp as I want.

This could be a better photo, but I don't want to spend so much time in Photoshot.

Looking up at the gear and the bike, I saw something. LEADING LINES, started to scream in my head.

This could be a better photo, but I don't want to spend so much time in Photoshop.

After a bit, the light became stronger thus creating more shadows and I wondered about depth of field, and the sensitivity of my lens and camera. When I took this shot, I figure it would be a throwaway, but now I wonder. What do you think?

Finally I saw this red flower, any one know what it is?

I think there are some OK shots here. It is funny how sometimes when circumstances  seem to go against you, the challenge seems to help to step up the game.

olc