Do you ever feel like a sunrise or a sunset was meant for you to be there to see it?
Photographing the newly opened Snapdragon Stadium at San Diego State University the morning after its grand opening game had been a long-held dream, made even more special because the game was on my birthday. I had spent the past six months documenting the stadium's final stages of construction with my drone, feeling a deep sense of ownership and pride seeing it alive and complete. Now, I aimed to capture the finished stadium in the soft hues of sunrise.
The early September morning in San Diego greeted me with thick, moody clouds, trapping in the remnants of the previous day's heat and humidity. The air was crisp, filled with the faint smell of morning dew and freshly cut grass. Birds began their morning chorus, and the city slowly stirred to life, but my focus was on the sky, anxiously watching for any sign of the sun.
Time was against me. The limited window to capture the vibrant colors of sunrise was rapidly closing, and the cloud cover was preventing the colorful sunrise through. I set up my drone, feeling the adrenaline rush as I launched it into the sky, maneuvering it to the perfect vantage point near the stadium hoping the clouds would part to let the light through. The sounds of distant traffic and the hum of my drone’s propellers filled my ears as I maneuvered into a position to capture it if the light could just break through.
As I positioned the drone, the first rays of sunlight began to pierce through the clouds, casting an ethereal orange and fiery red glow across the underside of the clouds. The sun lit clouds contrasted with the more menacing clouds that didn’t let in the light. It was breathtaking. I raced against the clock, knowing the clouds could reclaim the sun at any moment. My fingers moved swiftly, adjusting the camera settings to capture the scene in all its glory. The stadium, still lit by all its lighting from the night before, looked majestic as the complimentary colors of the sky seemed to radiate as an extension of the stadium itself.
Just as I pressed the shutter, capturing the perfect shot, the clouds swallowed the light of the sun once more. The mood of the scene shifted dramatically, the vibrant colors fading to muted grays. I brought the drone back down, my heart pounding with excitement. I had done it. Despite the odds, I had captured Snapdragon Stadium in its moment of sunrise splendor.
Back at home, reviewing the photo, I marveled at the vibrant colors and the powerful image of the stadium standing tall after hosting it’s first official game. This photograph was not just another shot; it was a testament to my journey, dedication, and the special connection I felt to this place. It was the perfect birthday gift, a memory immortalized in time.
