A worthwhile 3 Am wake up call

I detest early mornings, I prefer sleep compared with the horrid alarm siren that signals the start of a day. Unfortunately as a photographer, ignoring this siren would cause far too many amazing opportunities to slip away.

One such opportunity was presented to me by an enthusiastic group of photographers known as Photowalkers. They are always aware of, and willing to, share opportunities to capture Johannesburg’s beauty. I was invited to join one of these outings, held on the roof of one of the city’s elite casinos which overlooks one of the busiest runways at O.R. Tambo International Airport.

The photowalk was set to take place just an hour’s drive from home, but I had to set my alarm for 3 am – even though sunrise was just after 5 (I’m a girl, make-up takes time).

Talk about a mentally-disturbed time to drag yourself out of bed!

Putting on a brave face, armed with hot chocolate and good tunes keeping me company on the way, I wondered what sort of show sunrise would put on for us that morning. It did not let us down.

Arriving with a lightening sky on one side and the moon setting on the other, I quickly got to shooting the stunning architecture of the casino, with the setting moon as part of the backdrop.

Sunrises, despite their ridiculous hour, are always amazing. Warm and, to me, representing a new start with every fresh new day. Just one problem, the sun is always in a rush. It rises in just a few minutes, allowing only a short time to capture the fire and earth as one.

On this specific morning, the sun was kind, seeming to linger just long enough for me to capture an arriving plane passing through its orange glow. Honestly, sometimes as photographers we just get lucky and this for me was one of those times.

A couple more arriving planes and the sun left us, rising high into the sky.

So, yes I hate early mornings but sometimes, just sometimes, they reward you more than those couple of hours of sleep. Instead of just dreaming, they allow us to capture those dreams and show them to the rest of the world.

Meghan McCabe Photography