Observatory in pre-dawn light

Ninety-nine days out of 100, I like to sleep in. On those exceptional days when I wake up in the dark and embark on a photo shoot before sunrise, I find I am drawn to the scenes that just begin to emerge out of the shadows. On the high altitude peak of Haleakala (volcano) on Maui, I noticed this scene while climbing into position to capture the sunrise.

The short stretch of road between myself and the observatories on the peak made a ribbon shape through the desolate lava that looked more like the desert or even the moon than most of Mother Earth. Its leading line and the high horizon guide the eye to the pristine white observatory.

The sky and the lava landscape to the west will only hold these dusty blue and rusty  dark and mid-tones for a few more minutes until the brilliant sun will make its appearance and blind all of us staring to the east in search of it.

Morning twilight is so brief at the summit of Haleakala on Maui.