Smiling Seals!
Recently there was a very slight chance of seeing the Northern Lights while we were at the Cape… so of course I wanted to try and see them for the first time in my life! The moon was 90% illuminated which made for a very bright early morning sky which would make it even more of a challenge to see them but the temps were in my favor so I gave it a shot. I woke up extra early and left the High Head parking area at 4:30am - I barely needed my head lamp. It was a beautiful mid-40 degree morning with just about no wind. I came up over the dune that leads to the beach and it was just stunning… the moon was behind me over my left shoulder and the sky was absolutely filled with brilliant sparkling stars! Ultimately I had no luck seeing the Northern Lights - I guess that means it just brings me closer to a time when I will see them!
Venus was so bright and big in the eastern sky it made getting up that early all worth it! I decided to set up to try and get some of the moonlight shimmering on the water as I looked towards the eastern sky just as the first colors of dawn were showing on the horizon- it was absolutely stunning! The water was so calm that all I heard was a very gently lapping of the water as it would ebb and flow as the waves came in and out. The tiny bright light you see in the top right of this shot is Venus as the moon is behind me lighting up the water… wow!
After this shot I heard what sounded like roaring sounds which I have heard before - seals! I had hoped I would have a chance to see them hauled out on the beach as the tides were right - I scored! As I walked down the beach towards their roaring I finally saw a large dark area along the water’s edge - there they were. I was thrilled as I have tried many time to photograph them and often they are on a sandbar or the light isn’t right or a million other things just doesn’t line up. I knew we were going to get full sun once the sun came up so I set up higher up on the beach so that I could shoot down towards them with the sun exactly behind me…. I set my tripod as low as I could, strapped on my knee pads and waited and waited and waited…And then the magic unfolded! I will never forgot this amazing light and the amazing seal show! I hope that you enjoy….
Before sunrise…
The sun is just starting to come up over the dune behind me…
And then it just exploded with amazing sunlight - exactly behind me over the dune and aimed exactly at this group of seals and they were loving it!!! And so was I!!! I watched two seals move gently towards each other - I was so excited to capture this moment! As soon as they touched noses the one on the right kept moving right on by and moved further up on the beach to rest- just incredible! The seals were turning gold, bronze, red, dark brown, light brown etc. in this very intense low sunlight - wow!
How’s that for a smile?? :-)
Just makes me smile!
Pure joy!
Quite a bit later I took final shot of the morning … what a gift of a morning!