There are many benefits of being a morning person. For example, I see a lot of sunrises – even in the summer when the sun comes up well before most people are awake.
Last weekend, I got up early and drove out to our Platte River Prairies to catch the sunrise.
I’m sure glad I did.
Stiff sunflowers (Helianthus pauciflorus) greeting the sunrise in sand prairie. TNC Platte River Prairies, Nebraska.
The Prairie Ecologist 
Lovely! Thank you for sharing that beautiful moment.
Love how they stand and greet the morning sun — then follow the sun all day.
A simply beautiful share, Chris. This photo is so picture perfect and full of story that it doesn’t need any words at all.
Wow! Look at those rays. The canada wild rye looks like it is bowing down in homage. Lovely lovely lovely. I so wish I were a morning person. Takes me an hour or so to be alert once I’ve gotten my feet on the ground and coffee down the gullet. But my – this is enough to make me try a little harder. Saw dew on a perfectly round spider web this morning (from the car window as we drove right past). Your way is better.
Beautiful! I love sunrises
Your best photo yet.
Lovely!
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This may be photo of the YEAR! Gorgeous capture.
Beautiful! Can you share the settings you used to get this shot? Did you have to photo shop to get the sun as well as the color in the foreground?
Becky
I wonder how long it takes sunflowers to face the rising sun, since their faces follow the setting sun the day before?
Hi Chris,
Truly stunning shot. Benjamin Vogt suggested I look on your site – because I needed 1 exceptional image of a prairie as part of an upcoming talk on ‘Designing with Grasses’ here in Toronto at our local botanical gardens. May I have your permission to use this image? – w/ a photo credit etc. of course.
Thanks Tony. You may use the image for that presentation. Thanks for asking.