Sunrise in a distant airport

Dawn breaks through glass
Hong Kong, China
May 2012
Thematic. Rectangular. Here. (No, it's not too late.)

Pictures to me are more than two-dimensional collections of pixellated light and color. If you do it right, they capture the spirit of what it must have been like to stand there when the scene was actually happening. They help you remember what it felt like to experience it first-hand. And if you do it really right, they give folks who weren't there at all pretty much the same feeling.

Because whenever I go somewhere, I feel somewhat responsible for sharing the experience with folks back home. If my family's going to make sacrifices so that I can be away, then the least I can do is bring them something a little more meaningful than an airport gift shop memento.

Which brings me to this shot, taken just after our monster Toronto-Hong Kong hop over the top of the planet landed in this amazing place. The members of our little group of intrepid Canadian journalists were more than exhausted, and I'm still not quite sure how we found our way through the terminal to the gate for our next and final flight to Shanghai. After we settled into the waiting area - bar none, the comfiest terminal I've ever experienced - I picked up my camera and wandered for a few minutes to take the place in.

The rising sun stopped me in my tracks. At first I was disappointed that I had to shoot it through windows that hadn't seen Windex in...well, ever. But then I backed away after realizing the imperfection was part of the story of this morning.

Imperfect. But memorable. Maybe that doesn't only apply to scenes from faraway airports.

Your turn: Do sunrises inspire you? Why?