The Earworm

Sunrise triggered it. A classic earworm, Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles, kept replaying in my head.

Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here

Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo, here comes the sun
And I say it's all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here

The January weather in Saudi Arabia was so pleasant compared to the cold, lonely winter in Chicago. The highs were in the 70s, and it was sunny every day during the trip. Spring felt ever so close here.

The Shot

It was January 16. Our photography group left the small village of Al-Disah and headed to an unmarked location in the desert.

The best location for a photograph is seldom obvious. This rock cubby, in front of the gentleman in the black coat, didn’t seem all that special. Our tour leader discovered it on a scouting trip last year.

Photo courtesy of Jon Christofersen

It was approximately eight feet long, three feet high, and three feet deep. It was just big enough to allow you to uncomfortably squeeze inside, flat against the back wall.

But the valley beyond was beautiful.

Photo courtesy of Jon Christofersen

Framed through a camera lens, the view was extraordinary. We were shooting from the “mouth” of a cave. And the mouth even appeared to have “teeth.” In the distance, the first hint of sunlight was flooding into the valley and mountains in the distance.

 We carefully positioned a tripod. A shift of an inch or two ruined the symmetry of the composition. And it had to be absolutely level.

One by one, we contorted our way into the shallow opening without disturbing the tripod. Our field of view was so wide that we had to take extra precautions to avoid including one of our shoes on the right side of the image.

The view was too wide for a single image, so we shot a panorama. This required nineteen overlapping images, later stitched together in software to create a single photograph. And despite my best efforts, I had to clone out part of my boot.

After my turn, I carefully exited the location, careful not to disturb the tripod for the next photographer. After that, the earworm serenaded me as the sun both illuminated and warmed the valley.

Thanks for looking,

Chuck Derus Zenfolio | Chuck Derus