Just A Simple Salute To Nature's Power
Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON
Early on Wednesday morning, I looked through the kitchen window to see whether I needed to take my umbrella to work. To my delight, I saw a tinge of pink in the east. It didn’t solve the problem of whether it would rain or not, but I knew I had to keep an eye on the colours.
There was a strong breeze, so I knew either of two things would happen just before the sun rose. Either the colour was dissipate very quickly as the cloud cover broke up, or it would rapidly intensify.
My camera is always within arm’s reach, so I took it into the garden and shot this series of frames. There was not more than two minutes between the first shot and the last - and a minute after I went back indoors, the colours had vanished completely.
Nature paints some amazing images for us early risers, but even then we have to react quickly to capture them.
For other participants in 
53 comments:
Oh, what a wonderful morning,
oh, what a wonderful day! :-)
Lovely colours, David,
your day truly started out early and bright. ;-)
Very nice, I don't often see the dawn, so I have to rely on people like you who get up earlier than I do!
Absolutely breathtaking.
Our desert dawns here are stunning too, David, but I don't believe I have the camera skill to capture them the way you do. Also, I reach for the caffeine before the camera.
Oh, for a camera that would make good pictures AND coffee.
What a wonderful series you captured! The morning sky is beautiful and I am glad you captured it for us to enjoy as well. My SW won't be up for a while yet as it is still mid afternoon on Thursday here!
From the first glimpse of those dark swirling purples to Merisi's opening song lyrics these images are special. For me they brought to mind the words of old song about sundown and love. I wonder if its author was a photographer too. He was certainly an artist. When I was young, I thought this song was a love song. It is but nowadays I think it was to God.
CATCH THE WIND by Donovan Leitch
© '65 Southern Music, ASCAP
In the chilly hours and minutes of uncertainty I want to be
In the warm hold of your loving mind
To feel you all around me and to take your hand along the sand
Ah but I may as well try and catch the wind
When sundown pales the sky I want to hide a while behind your smile
And everywhere I'd look your eyes I'd find
For me to love you now t'would be the sweetest thing t'would make me sing
Ah but I may as well try and catch the wind
When rain has hung the leaves with tears I want you near to kill my fears
To help me leave all my blues behind
Standing in your heart is where I want to be and long to be
Ah but I may as well try and catch the wind
Ah but I may as well try and catch the wind
Love those word images as much as I love your photographs.
Peace!
Lee
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
Mother Nature at her finest.
Bear((( )))
Very impressive, David.
CJ xx
Martha and I like to hear the "Dawn Chorus" of the birds.
Great photo and great time of the day.
Well done.
Troy and Martha
PS: We'll get a current photo this weekend and send in the 'roast',
What wonderful colors! Mornings like that make every bit of getting up early worth it!
Wonderful, truly wonderful! Those shots make me feel very humble and a very small cog in the great wheel of life. Debs x
Amazing how many different skies there can be. This sky in particular is beautiful!
What layers of color.
As someone said "Luck comes to the prepared mind".
Yet another masterpiece from you, David!
What an amzing series! Love the colors.
Perfect catch for SWF! In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then beleive them to be true. Mine’s up too hope you can drop by… Happy SWF!
IMHO this is not just a salute, it's a 21-gun salute. Great job.
These are Really Beautiful...fire in the sky...
That's what I love about sky watching! Stunning shots!
Beautiful...love the range of colors.
That looks like God took a large paintbrush, dipped it in watercolour and painted freehand. It is simply beautiful.
I love the colours.
nice colors
mesmeric skies...sigh!
Gorgeous! I always love your Sky Watch posts.
Creation can best any artists brush.
Beautiful series.
Just beautiful David! Nothing better then drinking that first cup of coffee and watching the sun rise.
I could never get tired of looking at pictures of the sky. These are gorgoues!
I guess I need to get up earlier to see such colors...
Spectacular and stunning photos! Wonderful and gorgeous colors in the sky! Well done!!!
Red sky at night
Sailor's delight
Red sky at morning
Sailor take warning...funny, that Sailor is always in my thoughts, lol...and I love that ruby red sky
Sandi
That is a beautiful picture. The sky looks like it is on fire!
Hope you are well!
Kimmy
Those colors are stunning... Dawn is my favorite time of day...
Prairie Visions
Beautiful shots. Beautiful.
I totally understand what the morning brings in the skies... I have an early morning job and I posted similar photos on mind... it's such a pleasure to wake up to such glorious hues!
Beautiful photography as usual!
Mountain Retreat
Love these kind of photos there is so much dramatic in these clouds
Brilliant series of shots. We never seem to get such vivid colours here. :(
wow, such beautiful colors -- fabulous!
A sky like that is a rare treat. I saw my first one in the desert town of truth or consequenses.
Stunningly beautiful series. The U.S. desert southwest does not have a monopoly on gorgeous skies, as you've proved... over and over.
Your skies do have some great color schemes and you capture them well with your camera!
Wonderful colors. And a thnks for reminding me that it is skywatch time. I have barely lit in one place for several days. Mine won't be so colorful. That's the kind of week it's been.
I love dawn and dusk colours but I'm too slow in in the early morning to find my camera in time! A
Wonderful David. Nature always comes up with the goods. My contribution waspurely man made this week.
Beautiful and fantastic colours for sunrise. I guess you get rewarded for waking up so early. I have a flying saucer in my skywatch today. :)
It's the dramatic look for us, today.
Magnificent !
Wow just absolutely beautiful...
David: The colors you had in the morning sky were spectacular.
My friend I have to thank you for having the guts to put the poem on the Sky Watch opening page.
Wow how beautiful! It looks as if God took a paint brush to the sky.
Wow. Stunning. Great pix for SWF!
What beautiful colors! The other night I had a few nice shots,but sometimes my camera and I don't see the same thing :(
The colors are absolutely awesome, David. So rich, so vivid.
Post a Comment