Early bird or night owl?
/I must admit, I have a bit of a weakness when it comes to a sunrise. I have been known to get up in the middle of the night, drive up to the Lake District, and hike up a mountain in the dark, all to watch the break of day from the top of a hill.
There are of course some benefits to this compulsion; there is less traffic on the roads, and empty car parks, so it’s easier to park. But the fact that I have the mountain and the dawn chorus all to myself, has got to be one of the biggest perks. Even the ‘Father of the National Parks’, the great John Muir once said “How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains”, so I’m not on my own when it comes to getting up early just to watch a sunrise.
So why does the wife look at me like I’m stupid when I’m walking out at midnight with my rucksack on? Anyone that knows Mrs P, knows that she is definitely a night owl, and even though she has accompanied me up mountains in Norway at silly o'clock in the morning to watch the sunrise from Pulpit Rock, she definitely prefers a nice sunset instead. Apparently it’s a lot more civilised, sociable and relaxed, there’s no silly alarm clocks, there’s more colour in the sky, and sunsets in the Parkinson household usually involve some wine. Admittedly we have watched some fantastic sunsets together in some stunning locations trying to catch that elusive green flash as the last rays disappear over the horizon, and although I have enjoyed these sunsets immensely, the ‘early bird catches the worm’ proverb still holds true to me.
There is no better feeling than the first rays of the sun coming over the horizon and lighting up the scene in front of you, it has a positive effect on your wellbeing for the rest of the day, but that may also be down to the fact that I’m actually out walking.
My passion for photography may also have something to do with it. There are less dust particles in the air first thing in the morning, so no heat haze that you get later in the day. There are no people wandering around in your scene, and in winter the snow is still frozen and easier to walk on. If I decide to visit the coast for a sunrise photo then the overnight tide has cleaned the beach of any unsightly footprints in the sand making it my preferred option. Of course Mrs P would argue differently, but which one of us is right, sunrise or sunset?