Usually in the morning, I stay in bed for few extra minutes and re-set my alarm to get a few more zzzs. My father and I are heavy sleepers, which is a blessing I'd say. My sister always mocks me, saying: "Even if you drop a bomb, Asmaa won't wake up."
Today I woke to a beautiful morning. I managed to stay awake after dawn and felt the morning breeze. I realized that I have been missing lots of morning treasures since graduating – from my mother preparing milky tea with a great aroma to the beauty of daybreak and the tranquility I feel when the sun rises.
I am now continuing my traineeship in the Photography section, and I planned to set out to shoot some morning photographs. The past few days, I have been looking at photographs taken by the National's staff and other correspondents to try to gain some insight into professional photography. Whoever said "A picture is worth a thousand words" is correct. Some pictures have the power to convey a complex idea with a single still image.
I decided to test my photography skills and take some shots of my neighborhood. I live near Al Maqtaa bridge and I noticed that it is quite beautiful and colorful in the early morning. While driving to the lake near my house, I saw tiny birds playing with each other, the gardener was irrigating the flowers and a young boy was forced to go to school – which reminded me of my old days.
I have been living in Al Maqtaa for 13 years and I had never taken the opportunity to visit the lake. When I arrived, it was gorgeous. It is truly nature showing its wonderful face. The colour of the water, the breeze and most importantly, two women on their morning walk greeted me with "Asalam Alikum," peace be upon you. I walked for few kilometres and was enjoying the beauty of the place. I tried taking some photos of the lake, but they did not turn out well. So I walked till I reached the bridge and gave it another shot. I finally managed to take some good pictures of the bridge, above.
One of my goals is to get a shot at daybreak. Let's see If I will be able to wake up in time for that. My Mother, however, was sceptical: "It'll be a miracle if you wake up," she said.
