A Gulf of Mexico Sunrise was my target when I took an early morning drive through Galveston. Further I crossed the San Luis Pass bridge to Surfside Beach.The Bluewater Highway runs the length of Surfside Beach. I followed the highway until I found a place to park. Surfside Beach is a narrow strip separating the Gulf of Mexico from the back bays. The beach seldom has crowds. Facing generally east, Surfside Beach is an ideal location to view the rising sun.
At sunrise, the only visitors on this beach were the gulls, and me. The sunrise was brief. However made up for it’s short life with intensity. A good sunrise needs the proper balance and location of early morning clouds. Too little or too many and the sunrise is a bust. I was fortunate this morning. As a result I managed a few good shots. Gulf of Mexico Sunrises are more difficult to accurately capture than you would think. Proper exposure is critical to get the true reality of the color. In this case the colors were intense on this beautiful, calm morning.
After the sunrise colors faded into the bright glare of the risen sun, I explored behind the dunes. The weather was perfect for November while I searched for birds. I came across an Osprey having breakfast and snuck up on him. He was dining on a small Black Drum. I captured a few close-up and personal shots while he dined.
Finally I put together a short video of the Gulf of Mexico Sunrise too. Hope you enjoy.
