I got to the lake’s edge early on October 27th, 2020 for this Lake Sunrise. The colors that day were filled with jewel tones. Their brilliance intensifying as the sun rose further into the sky. I stayed through the sunrise, taking time to photograph each stage as it transformed Lake Michigan.
A Calm Lake Sunrise, Early in the Morning
Days like this are often hard to come by. A gentleness is necessary with all of the weather conditions on the lake in order for this delicacy in the lake and clouds to exist. The wind, which we are famous for here in Chicago, often impedes these conditions. A lake sunrise early in the morning where these conditions are occurring is something to be relished.
This morning, the lake was calm. The colors deep and the sun slowly moving higher in to the sky. With these later fall days you’re able to really see a surprising range of colrors that might not be the first you think of when conjuring up images of Lake Michigan in your mind. As time progressed that morning, each of these colors lost their subdued nature. Becoming more and more brilliant as the sun rose higher into the sky. On days like this, I ensure that I stay for as long as possible, to capture as much of this beauty as I can and to relish the pleasure of witnessing a lake sunrise early in the morning.
I wanted to highlight this morning in particular as it feels like the turning point for winter. We’re losing our daylight rapidly and although temperatures are still warm, you can tell that it won’t last forever. This is the first photo from that morning and is part of my Lake Series project. I will be sharing an additional two photographs from that day later this week. A number of these types of mornings were featured in this article on Suzanne Lovell‘s website.