Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

If you love wildlife and especially wild ponies, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is the place for you. I recently visited the refuge with fellow camera club buddies on a cold December weekend. I knew I was in for photography boot camp when I learned of early morning wake up calls for sunrise shoots.
We arrived on a brisk Friday afternoon in time for sunset on the island. We trudged about a mile with camera bags and tripods in hand. The hike was worth it. As I was setting up my tripod and camera for a sunset shot, two wild ponies trotted by us, their sandy manes blowing behind them. I only had time to capture the moment in my memory. There was plenty of time, though, to capture a beautiful sunset.

As daylight dwindled, the sunset colors became more vibrant and saturated.

Last light on the Island

We lingered until there was no more light, and then hiked back in total darkness with only flashlights to guide our way.

 

The next morning, my roommate and field trip organizer, Pat, woke me at 5:15 am. I groggily threw on layers of clothing and carried heavy camera equipment to the car.

We then hiked in total darkness to our first sunrise location. I wondered if it was really worth it to get a sunrise photograph.

The sun rose slowly and soft orange hazy light filled the sky. It was spectacular!

The hazy orange glow of sunrise

The best part about catching sunrise is that the whole day was ahead of us. We lingered to take photographs of birds and foggy trees.

Trees and moon at Sunrise