First blush of dawn, Angkor Wat, Cambodia.
The first time I tried going out to Angkor Wat temple near Siem Reap, Cambodia, I based my arrival time on the sunrise. Little did I know that the temple opens well before sunrise, and by the time I got to this reflecting pond, all the strategically good spots for photographing the temple with the reflecting pond in the foreground were taken. This time, I timed my arrival based on when the temple doors open. In fact, I got there so early that when I went through the main entrance, there was a security guard sleeping in a hammock and I totally startled him awake. He practically fell out of the hammock and straightened his uniform out. Yes, he had been sleeping in his clothes at his post. I was first to arrive at the reflecting pond and got to pick my spot. A beautiful sunrise ensued. By the time the sun was coming up, there was a gigantic crowd of people packed in behind me, jostling me to try to get up closer. I was able to stand my ground and get this beautiful image, but I was not able to move my feet for an hour as there were so many people around me. I couldn't even remove my camera bag because it was so crowded and there was no room. Well worth the early morning trip to the temple.