It is so much easier to wake up for a sunrise trip out of the city this time of year. The only problem is, there is not always a good weather for photography. In Alberta, we are blessed quite often with cloudless sky and very cold weather, which, as any of you, who practice landscape photography know, does not make good conditions for interesting shots. There is also the issue of road conditions, which can be problematic at the least and the cold itself. It is very important to have good winter attire, because it is easy to spend over an hour in bitter cold waiting for the light to be quite right. The boots and gloves and hats, thermal underwear, all the things we skip while driving in a city, even in the middle of the coldest winter, are a must. It is very easy to get frostbite out on the prairies, where not only cold, but also winds are a factor. Having said that, there is just something magical about seeing the sun rise and color all that whiteness in pink and peach hues, the clouds become reddish pink and then orange and yellow...

So is it easy to shoot winter sunrise? No, but it is such a relaxing time. All that beauty and peace and, if you are lucky, all the good photos you can bring back, are so worth all the trouble!

Kasia