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The alarm rings at 3:45 am. Cursing under my breath, I hit the snooze button, wondering for the umpteenth time if it’s worth waking up this early on the weekend, when it’s still cold outside, and dark - pitch dark. A 40-minute drive gets me to a dusty pull-out beside the lake, and a quick 5-minute scramble down a steep incline and misshaped boulders brings me to the edge. The water is dead calm and there is barely enough light to make out colour or form. I wait. Slowly, it begins. First, a chill wind, gentle enough that it does not disturb the surface of the lake, yet firm enough that it nudges the clouds across the sky. And then, the horizon to the east lights up, brushing blue-gold streaks above and around me, painting in a scene that will be as fleeting as it is beautiful. That’s when I remind myself. It’s worth it. Always worth it.

Canon 500D
Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS II
18mm・f/13・ISO 100・243 seconds
B+W 10-stop ND filter