20 Pictures at a Summer Day's Dawn

There are plenty of reasons to get up at dawn, and at least six simple ways to make the most of it when you do.

I love the quality of the air at sunrise; no matter the season, it's always colder, crispier and more energizing than at any other time of the day.

There's something just plain special about the start of a new day.

And the early morning light is perfect for picture-taking, in a similar, though different way, to late afternoon when shadows lengthen and soften.

I captured these magical images around Pinkie Patti's house and garden in the summer of 2012. From a doe and her fawn in the foggy field (the doe is easier to spot, the fawn not so much!) to the moss and lichen growing on the garden-side bench, there seemed to be a bit of beauty wherever I turned....