Uncaptured beauty, yet still a wonder

Several times when I have been in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, the predawn sky has put on a spectacular light show.  I am always pleased and thankful to witness this natural display of beauty, but I have yet to capture what I consider an equally dazzling image of the city skyline set against a dramatic morning twilight sky.

For example, as you can see here, the sky looked incredible during a visit last week.  Moments before I shot this image, there was a mirror-like reflection of the skyline and sky across the water.  In the short time it took to get my camera out of the bag and on the tripod, a light breeze developed and erased the full reflection that was there only seconds before.  I waited a minute or two in the hope that the breeze would abate and the crystal clear reflection would return.  Unfortunately, the breeze became a wind; the movement of the water erased even the shadowy reflection you see here; and the incredible pink, red, purple and magenta colors faded from the sky.  The full reflection would have given the image a sense of depth or dimensionality.  Without it, the buildings and foreground appear flat, and this lack of dimension makes the image appear dull … even with the gorgeous sky.

A passing boat may have enhanced the visual depth of the image, but there was not even a kayak in sight.  Oh, well.

You may be wondering why I am sharing what I consider a lackluster image with you.  There are three reasons.  One, I want to demonstrate that to create a great image you have to have a great subject, which the skyline and a spectacular sky certainly could be, as well as have optimum conditions.  The light breeze blew the image I had envisioned (sorry, I could not resist the pun).  I was patient and waited for conditions to improve, but it was not to be that morning.

Two, persistence will pay off.  I will continue to visit the Inner Harbor on a regular basis.  Early some morning I will finally capture that so-far-elusive image of the skyline and a fantastic, colorful twilight sky clearly reflected in the Harbor waters.

Finally, it was a rewarding experience.  The clouds were gorgeous.  The breeze brought cool relief from the summer’s high temperatures and humidity.  And, there was a pleasant aroma in the air, wafting in I presume from the bread bakery across the harbor in Fells Point.  Sometimes it is okay to come back from a photo outing with only a dazzling mental image … in particular when that outing produces a good story and an educational photo.