Being an early-riser – when on holiday, at least – as well as a keen photographer, there’s few more satisfying ways to start a day than getting out and watching the sun rise.
In unfamiliar surroundings, that can occasionally require a bit of planning on where exactly to go for the best place to view.
After all, why simply open the curtains if there’s a vantage point nearby that provides an even better setting from which to watch the sun gradually rise above the horizon?
I was staying with my wife’s family on the east side of downtown Victoria, BC during late summer of 2012.
Earlier during our stay, we’d driven around a stretch of road beside Clover Bay. The water was remarkably still and the area seemed so peaceful; if I was going to get out at all, that would be the place.
The area was just under 4km from the apartment, a distance I decided to cover on foot. I quite enjoy a good walk, but in hindsight, getting up at 6.40am didn’t leave any margin for navigational mistakes nor for a delay in finding a good place to set up my camera in time for the 7.22am sunrise.
Fortunately there were no wrong turns, and a strip of cloud seated on the horizon allowed for a little extra time before the sun became visible.
Watching a sunrise never gets boring, and no matter where you are, it’s a stunning sight. But what I didn’t expect was for half a dozen others to be there for the same reason – only without cameras.
These people were no doubt local-based, with easy access to a breathtaking view first thing in the day.
The low cloud made for a more dramatic sight, although the absence of cloud would have revealed a view of Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula, situated across the Gulf.
With daylight fully established, it was time to stroll back, at a much more leisurely pace, just in time for breakfast.