A New Dawn

A New Dawn
January 22, 2021

It’s a “new dawn,” because seeing the dawn every day is new for me. I’m not a get-up-before-sunrise type. But I recently got inspired to enjoy sunrise outdoors after catching glimpses from my windows of a frequent early morning sky on fire.

Right now the sunrise is late enough to occur at a not unreasonable time, about 7:15 AM. But it will happen earlier and earlier and, at some point this spring, I will likely refuse to leave my warm bed even with the promise of witnessing yet another morning spectacle.

Our current location, since early December, is a short drive to a wide beach that abuts the Santa Cruz Harbor and hosts the Walton Lighthouse. Because California mostly faces west and southwest, the sunrise cannot be seen from most beaches. This is sunset country.

However, Seabright State Beach is an exception. It faces south, the water line running east and west, so that the rising sun, at this time of year, clears the hills at one end and illuminates the shore. And conveniently, the lighthouse at the eastern end adds a well-known landmark and a welcomed compositional element to the photographs I take.

The sunrise people arrive each day. Many with dogs, others getting exercise, some making music or taking photos. Still others are there just to absorb the magic of the soft growing light and the way it plays on the ever moving waters of the sea. The fragrant air, the view, the sand under one’s feet bring each of us back to the vivid immediacy of the moment.

I will explore each sunrise as the unique occurrence that it is. A sight to never to be seen again, as it quietly and completely dissolves into the light of day. Every morning a new dawn.

Below is a slideshow of sunrises from Seabright Beach, Santa Cruz, CA. Please do not use any photos without permission. To inquire about permission, contact Carla at: brennan.carla@gmail.com.