Chasing Godbeams

I arrived at Monte Sano at my usual hour-before-sunrise time.  There was actually a beautiful dawn breaking.  The clouds were already lighting up.  I managed to get one frame in before the fog blew in and covered the sky.  So there was no sunrise worth photographing but I knew the Sun was shining on the rest of the world.

After sunrise, I always walk a couple of miles — usually up the Bankhead Trail (back to the overlook) at then back down the mountain.  I made it all the way back up the mountain and still the fog shrouded the mountain.  I was halfway back down the mountain (by Oscar) when the Sun finally broke through the fog.

Chasing godbeams is usually frustrating.  They come and go so fast.  But not these.  I got to photograph three different scenes with these and spent about 15 minutes at each location.  (You can see how high the Sun is.)  It was the best display I've seen since I moved here 4 years ago.

Along the Bankhead Trail in Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville, Alabama.

Nikon D7500 — Nikon 18-300mm F6.3 ED VR

58mm

F8@1/5th

ISO 400

Polarizer

White Balance on Flash

DSB_2083.JPG

©Don Brown 2024