Twilight Magic

If it had not been for me checking a detailed forecast yesterday I would have stayed home and taken a break this morning. This is one of my favorite spots and with the predicted conditions I could not pass up on an early road trip. Lake Mattamuskeet is coastal to North Carolina and finding mornings without wind does not happen often. Adding light upper layer clouds to the mix is a formula that I look for to get shots like this. This shot was taken right before blue hour, capturing the warm glow of dawn below the horizon yet dark enough to expose the many bright stars in the sky. The reflection is perfect. I shot this ultra wide with a large aperture allowing enough light in to keep the noise low and the shutter slow enough to freeze the stars. The conditions, timing and location have proven themselves to me again. This is a single exposure with minor Lightroom adjustments. Magical!