Morning at the Marley
During my January weeklong trip to California, I spent the bulk of my time in Palm Springs. I had never visited this area before, and I found that I really liked it. I like photographing motels, particularly spaces that are unique. It turns out that Palm Springs is full of such places, so I ended up moving to a new motel each day so that I could photograph as many as possible. As well as signs, I also enjoy photographing the interiors. Each place in Palm Springs had a swimming pool, and I hoped to get photos poolside with umbrellas and palm trees.
I spent one night at the Marley, which was a wonderful property. Each room was its own suite with bedroom, bathroom, living space and a small kitchen. Rooms opened out to the pool area. Because it was January, I had no interest in swimming, but I did hope to get a photo around the pool.
When I woke up in the morning, I headed to another location to photograph a mid-century home. This was only a few minutes away from the motel, and when I realized we were going to have a good sunrise, I decided to try and photograph both. After finishing in the first location, I rushed back to the Marley hoping to catch the remainder of what was a great sunrise.
Arriving back at the Marley, I set up on the pool deck with umbrellas and palm trees flanking the scene. A beautiful pink light was erupting in the eastern sky. The temperature was in the high 30s, causing steam to rise off the heated pool. I really liked the resulting photo, which has a very dreamy quality:
Sunrise at the Marley
This ended up being one of my favorite photos from the trip. It ended up being about the best light I got, and I think this scene shows it off perfectly.
