I am usually up before dawn — thanks only to the little folks in my life who LIKE to be up before dawn. If I had any say about the matter…
But, I’ve gotten use to it. And, while I can’t say that I really enjoy getting up that early, I can say that I appreciate the quiet and sense of unfolding that only seems to happen in those early hours.
The first light of dawn always seems cold and thin to me. Almost cruel — and I hesitate to say that because I can’t tell you exactly why it seems that way to me. It just does. Maybe it’s the remanents of a half-remembered poem.
But once the sun peaks over the horizon — oh then it is marvelous! When we are not in a rush to be anywhere, I will grab my camera and stalk the sunlight through my house — hoping to find scenes and shadows enflamed with the light and brought to life. That strong contrast between the warm sunlight and the dark shadows just makes my heart sing.
I agree about strong contrasts between natural light and shadows. I definitely prefer it to flat, even light. I seldom get out of bed before 8:30, but I seldom get to bed before midnight. I’ve never equated the cold feeling of early morning with the quality of the light, but that’s an interesting observation. I actually don’t mind getting up early in the summer months, but those cold, dark mornings of winter are just depressing.