Severo Photography
Home Gallery Photo Essays Order Info About Me Contact

 

 

Victory Over Darkness

The Ultimate Battle

There’s just something wrong about waking up into darkness. It doesn’t make much sense to me. My body resists it. Until that sun hits my face, it’s a battle, and my body wins most of the time.

I suppose that’s why early morning adventures feel so good. They require so much more effort, and it’s all a gamble really. With darkness dominant, it’s difficult to gauge exactly how the adventure will pan out, not to mention temperatures typically reach there daily lows just before daybreak. Adventures aren’t really adventures if they come easy. By definition some inconvenience, pain, or suffering is in order.

Frequently, a camera is behind the adventure. Sometimes it involves trekking far off-trail; sometimes it’s as simple as a walk in a nearby park in less than favorable conditions. The camera gives me that extra push. It’s frequently why I take that extra step, stay that extra hour, and get up so damn early.

Of the sunrise, the time when the sky begins to glows blue and the stars are still shining bright is my favorite. Blink and you may miss it. The stars and the sun go into a head to head battle royale. The moon, neither friend nor foe, referees in silence. Despite being outnumbered, the sun muscles its way up. The stars retreat. In victory, the sky glows red and birds sing in rejoice. With the glow comes hope, the hope of warmth.

All of this happens in peace. It’s dark, cold, and early in the morning. You could stand right next to a busy road, and never catch a glimpse of anyone passing by. The world hasn’t woken up yet, they have no idea of what has just happened.

If you believe that the reward is proportional to effort, than today's adventure would rest high on you list. A local mountain’s weather station reported morning temperatures at 0˚F. I’m sitting enjoying the sights and sounds, exposed to 20-30mph gusts – and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything else in the world.

Back to Essays List