Photo Spotlight: Almost Sunrise

Feb 01, 2022

What’s the story behind “Almost Sunrise”?

This has been a popular work in my collection since I took it in 2012.

I shot this image from a bluff overlooking the lake at Park Avenue in Glencoe, Illinois. I had taken an early morning bike ride up the North Shore and stopped to enjoy the sunrise there.

As the sun rose and the sky brightened, these amazing layers of orange sliced through the clouds. The vibrant colors contrasted with the surface of the water, turning it a deep blue. The low hanging clouds provided the perfect frame.

I took a series of images leading up to and including the sunrise. This shot—just an instant before the sun broke the horizon—was the most dramatic.