When early-morning air temperature differs just enough from the water temperature in a pond, lake, or river, you get a rising mist. Couple that with the rising sun and some late-fall color and you have the recipe for a wonderful image.
I like the varying light and density of the mist throughout this image. The low-angle sunrise is coloring the mist and the remaining foliage on the trees and the plants in the foreground. The mist has risen high on the right side of the image, yet breaks enough to display some blue sky over the tree to the left. You get the feeling that the mist won’t be around much longer, as the air warms up and reaches an equilibrium with the water.
The James River near downtown Richmond, Virginia is a target-rich environment most mornings. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend visiting. No camera required; just go and enjoy the scenery. The Pony Pasture parking lot opens a few minutes before sunrise most mornings. You will, more often than not, encounter at least one photographer. They’re kind of skittish, so don’t scare them off. Approach carefully, and they might share what they are doing. 😉
Sunrise Mist was created using a Nikon D800 camera and a Nikkor 80-400mm zoom lens at 270mm. The exposure was 1/40th sec @ f/16, ISO 100.
