Getting up early enough to capture the morning light has long been a struggle for me, though as it turns out, sleeping under the stars cowboy style in the gravel driveway of a recycling drop-off center is a marvelous way to rise with the Sun. I captured this image of the old Mansfield Sportsman Club meeting hall as I was waiting for the local grocery (Mansfield Family Market) to open so I could get some coffee. Unfortunately for my spine, they do not open until 7am, and it was only 6:15am. As much fun as hanging out by the grain elevator and recyclables drop off could have been at that early hour for another 45 minutes, my motorcycle and the open highway proved a more enticing option than spending any more time in the gravel, so I suited up and struck out through the mostly deserted town. Traveling west along Washington Route 172, it wasn’t long before I found a scene that caught my eye. The golden, early morning light that was streaming across the eastern Washington plain was warm and beautiful, and it was subtly illuminating the weathered wood of the building. I pulled the bike off the road, and started slowly walking around the building. After exploring several varying compositions, I decided on this view here. The mountains to the west, the play of light across the building itself, and the rustic red marquee sign all are what drew me to this composition.

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ISO 250, f8, 1/180th, 6:56 AM PST