Why do I do it?

St. Mary's Lighthouse
Originally uploaded by thefatcat44

So here I am peering through the drizzle on the windscreen. It is minus 3 degrees. Dark. 4am. I am on the A1 heading north on the 2 hour drive to St. Mary's Lighthouse.

Why do I do it? Why don't I stay under the duvet like normal people?

I hope this image helps explain.

I had done my research on the location. I had made the journey once before only to have a dull grey sunrise - but the potential of the location was clear. I had checked the tide tables. I had avidly watched the BBC weather video, cross referenced this with Metcheck and the Met Office websites. I had consulted the Shipping Forecast. All were saying there would be broken cloud at dawn on the north east coast.

So while it was still dark (I always try to get into position an hour before sunrise - nothing worse than having to rush setting up and missing the best of the light which often happens before the sun has broken the horizon) I am huddled in front of my tripod, checking and double checking all my settings. I don't want to witness the dawn of a lifetime only to find later the camera is set to ISO800 and the images are useless.

Using my head torch I try to perfect the composition. Then I wait. And Wait. Then as light begins to creep across the horizon I start to expose. Long battery draining exposures of 2 minutes or more. These early exposures are often unusable, but they help me perfect the exposure and composition, so are invaluable.

Then comes the moment. The 'Decisive Moment'. Usually only a few minutes long, sometimes only seconds long, when everything is perfect. You expose rapidly. Holding the breath. Hoping. Hoping you are getting this. Are the settings right? All the uncertainty. Checking the histogram, tweaking the exposure. Bracketing the shot, just to make sure.

Then it is over. The pressure is off. You continue shooting, but you know you have got the best of the light. Now comes the impatience. That long drive home before you can upload the images to see if the image you made has really captured the reality. The moment of truth. Elation or despair.

In this case elation. Several images made I am really happy with.

This is why I do it. It is worth the early rises that end with a dull grey dawn. It is worth crawling out from a warm bed at 3am just to witness what I witness and to capture it. Trust me, it is worth it.