“Even in the mud and scum of things, something always, always sings.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

It was sunrise outside of Al-Disah in Saudi Arabia on January 19. Weeks earlier, this area had been a shallow, muddy lakebed. Transformed by evaporation, the pattern of mud cracks was mesmerizing.

One section of mud cracks created a leading line towards the low, repeating rock formations and rising sun in the distance. Luckily, there was enough haze on the horizon for my camera to create a sun star.

Moving quickly, I managed to capture a few images before the sun moved above the haze, ending the sun star.

After listening to the mud “sing” and lead me to an image, it was back to the date farm for breakfast. As Don Smith, professional photographer, says about early morning photography, “The best stuff usually happens at that hour of the day, and breakfast just tastes so much better.”

Thanks for looking,

Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus