In 2017, I decided to challenge myself to wake up and photograph a sunrise a day for 365 days.. My friend Theresa Lake told me that I would learn more about myself than I could imagine. My response was something like “uhh?”
Here are a few of the things I learned:
Patience
or that I’m an impatient person..I would rush out to get my pix and on the way home for about a week, I noticed that the sunrise colors would get better and better. Dang it! I was back in my car and “missed” it.. This taught me to sit still and just be all the way until the sun was fully high in the sky. If you look at my album of a year of sunrises, you will notice that many days I couldn’t pick just one photo because they were all uniquely beautiful.
Perspective
Many of my shots are taken by bodies of water. When the sun comes up over the mountains or horizon, it’s often hues of orange and yellow but if you turn towards the water it’s hues of purple and pink. I try and take this into my day. If I don’t like the way something is going or someone is vibing with me, I literally imagine my mind turning 30 degrees or 180, and watch how a shift in my perspective changes the interaction, lessens judgement
and adds a healthy dose of grace to any situation.
Commitment
Do you know that there are times in the year when the sunrises just after 5am? Yep, my tail was still up to catch it and photograph it. Need I say more? If you’d like to view the photos, head over to my personal FB page: Suzanne Willis Wunsch, click on photos, and choose the album Sunrise/Sunsets 2018.
I’d love a new Year long photo project. Flowers? Dogs?
I’d also love to hear your ideas for my next 365.. Please post your suggestion below..
A Year of Sunrises!