For the past few years I have made it a point to drag myself out of bed well before the crack of dawn on New Year's Day to photograph the first sunrise of the year over Rockford. Last year it was much warmer - and rainy and couldy- so I captured the glow as seen from the Amerock building.
This year was cloud free, and a balmy 6 degrees as I headed out with a few photographer friends to take in the first glimpse of sunlight in 2013. Since we headed out well before sunrise we spent a few minutes just wandering State St. It was there I saw the Rockford City Market Christmas tree, most likely the victim of a New Year's Eve reveler, sprawled out across the snow as if to say "The party's over. Time to get back to work!"
After a few more minutes in the bone chilling cold, it was time to find our spot. It was decided that the Riverwalk at Riverfront Museum Park would be a great spot, if for no other reason than there had definitely never been another New Year's Day sunrise photographed from it. As we walked around, shuffling our feet to keep our frozen toes warm as we looked for locations, I finally found my spots.
Here is the first sunrise of 2013, Rockford. Welcome to the new year.
Happy New year, all.
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