Sunrise Above the Earth

As a kid, I was always fascinated by watching the sun rise. In summer, I would often wake up before even the birds to sit by the window and watch the sun awaken a sense of wonder in me. I would sit there until the last wisp of pink was gone from the horizon. The first time I flew on a plane was when I was 6, and the second I stepped on the plane, I felt truly alive, like it was my calling to be on that plane. I loved the sensation of being far above my troubles and feeling like I could touch the sky. Whenever I flew on a plane as a kid, I always rushed to the window seat and didn’t take my eyes off the sky for a second. Since then, I have traveled to many countries and seen countless sunrises, but none can compare to the sunrise I witnessed just a week ago on a plane to Florida. I was having a bad day, since I had to wait in line for hours at then airport, and I had not slept a wink the night before. But the second I stepped on the plane and looked out the window, I felt that all was right in the world. I saw deep purples unfurling around the sun and crescendoed into magical crimsons, with clouds gracefully dancing in the sky. I was in awe, and couldn’t tear my eyes away for a single second, in the fear that I would miss something. I pulled out my phone just seconds before the plane took off and it began to rain, fat drops rolling down the windows. After about a minute after taking off, I managed to take this incredible picture of the city lights beneath a majestic sunrise. It represents how the earth might seem quiet from below, but up above, there is a sort of magic displayed that is different than anything else on this world. I took dozens, if not hundreds of pictures in the small window of time that it took for the sunrise to turn into a brilliantly blue sky without a cloud in sight, but this one was the only one that truly made me think “wow”. The rain stopped, and I looked over my pictures. I came across this one, and I could not stop looking at it. It was so perfect, I did nothing to change it at all. I didn’t even edit it at all, despite the faint reflection of my phone in the window. The reflection shows how such a beautiful moment can always be captured with just a camera. It showed the magic of the sunrise combined with the gracefulness of flying. After looking through all of the photos stored on my phone (nearly 14,000 of them!), it was a no-brainer to go with this picture since it holds such a dear place in my heart. I have taken many photos in my life, and my obsession with photography started when I was just a toddler, but this is definitely my favorite and most cherished photograph. I have since tried to take pictures that compare to that work of art, but they fall short of the splendor that is displayed there. Hopefully my picture can help inspire young photographers to always have faith in their abilities and that a good picture is always where you least expect it. I hope that my picture is able to awaken the curiosity and playfulness that lives in every person, young or old. Thank you for taking my picture into consideration, and I apologize for any potential typos, as I am writing this on a cell phone (the same one that I took the picture on!).