I've heard a lot of great things about Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. I've seen some really great wildlife photos from Blackwater. Since I'm not much of a wildlife photographer, Blackwater hasn't been high on my list of destinations. However, I visited Blackwater a couple of weeks ago and was pleased to discover that the refuge also presents some really nice landscape opportunities.

A midsummer sunrise

I took this photo at sunrise. It was no easy feat. Sunrise was at 5:47 that day. The refuge is about a 2 hour drive from DC, so I had to get up at 3:00 to get there at 5:30. Moreover, when I arrived, I discovered that the parking area on the peninsula was closed off due to construction of a new pier. The next nearest parking lot was half a mile away. So, I drove to the next lot and ran. The sunrise only lasts a few minutes and there's no way I was going to get up that early and drive that far just to miss the sunrise! So I ran the half mile in the muggy summer heat with a huge photography pack strapped to my back and carrying my tripod—while swarms of biting flies pecked at my face. It was not a fun experience!

Nevertheless, I arrived in time for the sunrise and the run, the heat, and the bugs were all worth it! I love the photo. I definitely plan to visit Blackwater again. Maybe next time, I'll go back in the fall when the sun rises a bit later and the flies are no longer hatching.

Incidentally, the sunrise looks great against a dark background. Click here to see the photo in a black lightbox.