After weeks of rain, we finally woke to a truly picture perfect morning in South Florida! Flat seas, no breeze and some light clouds in the distance set the stage for the star entrance of the sunrise. The normal cast of morning beach walkers seemed to have a little more of smile on their face and pep in their step. The soft sand breathed in the morning warmth and reflected the changing colors from light show of oranges, yellows and blues in the sky high above. Finally, as the climax of the roughly 30 minute show had passed and I slowly walked across the soft sand to my awaiting car. But was that really all?
Long ago, I learned the simple phrase, “…turn around.” As I walked up the sandy path, the ocean at my back, I followed those inspired words and turned around to see what else was happening around me. At that moment I saw how the rising sun was casting warm colors on the thick surrounding beach foliage. The leaves of the sea grapes showed their rich green colors with a mix of shadows and highlights giving shape and definition. A palm tree stood tall and framed the lifeguard stand in the background. The simple blue sky completed the color pallet. It was truly worthy of a few more moments of my time. I was richly rewarded in a memory that will last the day and beyond.
If I had continued to walk the path ahead of me and kept blinders towards my next stop of the day, I would have missed a moment that will never be repeated exactly the same. Instead, I captured a wonderful scene because I simply turned around to see what else there was to see.
3 Frame HDR, Processed in LR, Photomatix Pro and PS