Sunrise on the Sea of Cortez in the bay at Huatulco, Mexico

The photo challenge for the first week of 2014 is appropriately focused on “Beginning”. From the challenge post: “THIS WEEK, IN A POST CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHOW US ‘BEGINNING.'”

Beginnings are abundant, new life, new year, new season, new moon… Clearly, New and Old cycle in abundance throughout the universe, one replacing the other ad infinitum. I submit for your evaluation, my challenge entry, beginning a new day.

The sun, having barely risen above the La Sal Mountains to the east, has not yet illuminated the valley in Arches National Park

My most memorable start of a new day was an experience that I could not have photographed. In addition to these photo challenge images, I hope to provide an image of what I saw in my mind on a train trip through Glacier National Park in Montana some years ago.

On a 32-hour Amtrak train trip from Portland Oregon to Fargo North Dakota, we were relegated to sleeping in our seats as the sleeper berths were sold out long before we purchased our tickets. Our first night in the large, comfy recliners led to a fitful sleep. I had awakened to a darkened train car several times in the night, the car illuminated only by the dim glow of an exit light on the door behind us. Peering out the window during these times of wakefulness, I might see the lights of a nearby town as we passed through, a yard light from a nearby ranch, or the oncoming light of a train westbound on the parallel track. Many of the views on the trip through the mountains, however, were pitch black.

After another short sleep, I awoke finding the interior of the car still very dark. Looking out the window, however, I could see a dim gray image coming into focus. I realized that we were traveling along a mountain stream and a burgeoning dawn was just beginning to bring forth a new day. My color vision was not yet functional in the early morning darkness. The image of that stream is etched in my mind. It could have been an Ansel Adams photograph I’d viewed in a gallery one day. There is no way that I could have photographed what I saw; a mountain creek lush with nearby growth passing by my viewpoint in a black-and-white world. The moment only lasted a few minutes as the intensity of light increased. Soon the green of the foliage and the reflection of the sky in the creek activated the color sensitive elements in my eyes and the moment was gone.

As an amateur photographer, I am disappointed that I cannot show you that vision I saw early one summer morning. I only hope I gave you enough of an idea of what I saw that you might also see it in your own imagination.

Sunrise on the Panama Canal; a cluster of ships awaiting the beginning of their canal crossing

John Steiner

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/01/03/photo-challenge-beginning/