Awakening

Taken near West Wittering shortly after sunrise, this ICM image captures the moment when the rising sun begins to break through the morning haze. The movement of the camera stretches the light across the sea, blending soft blues, warm peach and delicate rose into an almost dreamlike seascape.

Rather than recording the coastline as it appeared, the image is about the feeling of being there — watching the first light arrive and slowly transform the quiet water. The subtle movement and softness give the scene an almost weightless quality, as if the morning is only just beginning to take shape.