Dawn usually finds me curled up on the couch with my first cup of coffee. I like to get up early but rarely step outside until after the sun is up so it took me a few days to find a picture to meet A Word in Your Ear’s latest challenge – Dawn. New Year’s Day is different though and while most of my family is sound asleep I get up as early as I can and take a walk to begin the new year with a fresh start. This picture was from my January 1st, 2010 walk during a wind storm on Decatur Island. The clouds were dark and heavy when I began but as the wind blew an opening for the sun I shielded my camera from the salt spray and quickly snapped this photo.
If you would like to see more images of Dawn around the world please visit A Word in Your Ear and the Word A Week Challenge – Dawn.
Northwest Frame of Mind 
I love your idea of getting up early on New Year’s Day to welcome in the new day. I’ve never thought to do that. It’s always about staying up until midnight the night before. Next year, I may have to go to bed earlier and greet the dawn instead. Thanks for the idea!
Lovely image!
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Thanks! I usually stay up until midnight too but love my walks so I get up early and then try to take a nap later in the day. 🙂 I’m glad you like the idea!
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Reblogged this on A Word in Your Ear and commented:
a stuning photo from northwest frame of mind in response to the A WORD A WEEKD CHALLENGE – DAWN
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I’m glad you liked this one! Thanks for the reblog and the opportunity to share my photo with your readers.
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Breathtaking!!!
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Thank you! And thanks for visiting today. 🙂
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I’m a bit like that – up early but slow to go out 🙂 But with you, there’s a reason – cold and dark most of the time! Like this cold tentative morning 🙂
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Thanks, the wind was freezing but felt kind of appropriate blowing in the new year. 🙂
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Ah, yes, and the wind!
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It looks almost surreal. I love it.
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Thank you. 🙂 It was a beautiful moment in a very stormy day.
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Beautiful photo! Where is Decatur Island? I’ve never thought of getting up early either for New Year’s… great idea! What a wonderful way to start the year…
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I’m glad you it! Decatur is one of San Juan Islands off the northwest coast of Washington state. It is a beautiful area and one of my favorite vacation spots.
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That’s what I thought. My parents have a cabin on Saturna Island — one of the gulf islands just south of the San Juans.. from the peak of the island we can see the San Juans all clustered together. Beautiful! We’ll have to head there for a visit.
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You will love it and feel right at home at the same time. 🙂 I want to plan a trip to the Gulf Islands too. My parents have taken their boat through them and had a great time.
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Beautiful sight to start a new year!
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It was! Thanks for stopping by today. 🙂
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Great capture! Maybe you can reduce the noise a little for when you look at the picture in full resolution 🙂
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Thanks for the tip, I agree it is a little rough when seen at full resolution. 🙂 There was so much salt spray in the air I had to be fast and now it does need some work.
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I’d give it a try in Adobe Lighroom or with Neat Image’s Noise Reduction filter for Photoshop 🙂
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Great, I appreciate the help!
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let me know if it works out 🙂 if you want i can try and give it a shot for you
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You are welcome to play around with it if you want to. 🙂 I don’t have Lightroom or Photoshop right now but they are on my “to purchase” list so it might take me a little while to try on my own. I am just starting to learn and am open to all feedback.
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I’d be happy to give it a try, why not 🙂 I’ll send you the basics of what I did as well.
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Hey, thanks so much! I can’t wait to see your results and learn how to start editing some of my photos!
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One of my brothers and I took a walk on a South Carolina beach just after dawn this morning, and although I didn’t snap any pictures as beautiful as this one, I did manage to capture some early morning images.
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Wonderful, it sounds like the perfect time for your walk. I hope you post a few pictures. 🙂
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Has a slightly surreal feel to it. Very atmospheric.
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Thank you for visiting today, I’m glad you liked this one!
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I absolutely love your image. Excellent work, and I’d like to know which camera you’re using, and what lens on this shot? Wonderful to find you, here in the great NW!
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Thank you for your nice comments! My camera is a very basic Canon Power Shot SX 210 IS point and shoot but I hope to get a nicer one soon and I’m always happy to meet a fellow Pacific Northwester 🙂
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Thank you for letting me know, because usually the camera is key to the outcome of the image. 🙂 I hope you will check out my photography at http://fikaafterfifty.wordpress.com/ although I don’t have a lot of pictures of the Seattle area posted yet.
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You have some beautiful photos at fikaafterfifty! Thanks for the link. 🙂
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I’m so glad you like the photographs! Thanks very much. 🙂
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Wonderful dawn photo. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. 🙂
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Thanks – and you’re welcome!
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I love this photo. I have pinned it on my Pinterest board for others to admire: http://pinterest.com/dsmyth55/boards/
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How fun, thanks for letting me know!
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