Capitol Christmas ReflectionsEarly morning at the Capitol. The Capitol dome and the 2020 Capitol Christmas Tree are reflected in the Capitol Reflecting Pool. Also visible is the inauguration stage that is under construction.

Every year, I try to shoot the Capitol Christmas Tree. Usually I shoot it just after sunset, when the tree lights are on, but it's not so dark that the sky turns black. This year, I decided to try shooting just before sunrise. However, I wasn't sure whether it would work at that time of day and the overcast sky did not look promising.

When I arrived, the reflecting pool was perfectly placid, creating an amazing mirror image of the Capitol and tree. Then, after taking only two pictures, the wind picked up and destroyed the reflection. I might have packed up to go home then. The cloud cover was discouraging. An overcast sky should have ensured a drab sunrise. Instead, I stuck around and only five minutes later, the sun found a small break in the clouds, right along the horizon, and turned the sky a brilliant fuchsia color.

Fuchsia skies and Capitol Christmas TreeBrilliant fuchsia skies over the Capitol just before sunrise, featuring the 2020 Capitol Christmas Tree and the inauguration stage under construction.

It was a brilliant sunrise! I'm glad I experimented with the sunrise and stuck it through after the wind picked up. Incidentally, if you look past the Christmas tree, you can see the inauguration stage under construction in the background.