As I stepped from my vehicle and gathered my gear, the darkness of night was just beginning to give way to the unrelenting persistence of the approaching dawn. A half mile hike through thick mountain laurel brought me to Lindy Point in time for sunrise. Lindy Point is located in Blackwater Falls State Park in the highlands of West Virginia. The rocky overlook hangs on the edge of Blackwater Canyon high above the churning waters of the Blackwater River. At times the roar of fighter jets can be heard echoing off the surrounding slopes as military pilots practice their maneuvers in the canyon. But on this particular morning all was quiet as I climbed around on the rocks looking for a composition that would portray the beauty and majesty of this enchanting scene. I tried several positions and locations and finally settled on this particular spot with colored slabs of rock in the foreground and the canyon stretching away to the west. The sky was mostly overcast but as the sun rose behind me the golden beams slithered through an opening in the clouds and kissed the tops of the ridges along the canyon’s edge. Low hanging clouds were still catching some color from the rising sun and casting a subtle magenta glow over the whole scene. On a morning such as this and in a place so majestic it’s hard to imagine that anyone could believe that it all happened by chance! How much better to believe in and have a personal relationship with the One who created it all!
My attempt here was to use the lines in the rocks to lead the eye into the canyon. I like the fact that the shape of the rocks on the right is subtly repeated in the hillside along the canyon. I’m wondering if my focal length of 12mm makes the canyon itself appear too distant.
Nikon D7100
F/11
1/3 sec
ISO 100
12mm
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