It’s been a couple years since I first visited the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.  Since then, my photography has taken off and I pined to capture images of this incredible place at sunrise.  Fortunately for me, the US Fish and Wildlife Service had opened up the most scenic area of the swamp to allow for sunrise photography.

My first shoot was 2 days before Christmas.  I arrived to windless skies which meant that surface of Lake Drummond (Virginia’s largest natural lake) was like a mirror.  The sky was cloudless, which meant that not only did I witness great sky color, but also the setting full moon on the Western horizon.  Having such beautiful conditions in such a special place was like receiving an early Christmas present.

This river otter was spotted in a tributary to the Great Dismal Swamp.