Chasing the magic hour.

I have heard alot about the "magic" hour lately, the first and last hour of daylight.  Also called the golden hour, this diffused light is highly sought after by photographers and today I wanted to experience it first hand.  So on this chilly November morning I woke up before dawn, grabbed my camera and took off.  It was a cold 32 degrees and quite frosty along the still quiet roads.  Not sure exactly what I was looking for or what I was going to shoot I ended up at one of my favorite places, the Edmonds waterfront.

It was quiet, easy to find a parking spot at the waterfront park and so very still.  The tide was low and looked like it was returning to the shore, a handful of seagulls were scoping out the scene, and two very brave scuba divers were prepping for a chilly early morning swim. 

I walked out on the breakwater and just as I reached the end and turned around I spotted it, my very first sun star.



This light is amazing and so much fun to shoot with.  The way the light passes through the atmosphere creates a highlighted effect on everything.  It was beautiful.   No harsh shadows or sharp bright light.


This Blue Heron was not too please I found his hiding place as he was tucked between the dock and breakwater of the Edmonds Marina; he flew off just after I took this picture.

My hands were so cold as I snapped photos, changed lenses and strolled from one end of the waterfront to the other. 







And just as I was starting to really see the beauty in this light, it was fading.  The shadows deepened, and the light was all of a sudden different, Mother Nature's slight of hand was fast and before I knew it, the magic had disappeared.


It was lovely and I will make a point of shooting during the magic hour more often because well, it's magical. 

And now it looks like it's going to be a beautiful clear, crisp fall day here in the Pacific Northwest and I must go enjoy it.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!