One of the most famous sunrise locations on Earth is in front of the Angkor Wat Temple of Cambodia. For years, the magical promise of startling world-class sunrises has come true to ever-increasing crowds of travelers rightfully adventuring for the greatest views of a lifetime. And on this day, in front of the little lily pond reflecting one of the most undisputed famous temples of all time, it was all true.

The rough predawn ride on the TukTuk down to the temple complex worried me - both with the insecure creaking tiny carriage dodging the unorganized flow of people and cars and in the lackluster weather or atmosphere. One of my fears in photography is not getting the shots due to uncooperative weather or other factors. I can control the time, like getting up early and claiming your work space before an event such as this sunrise, but then it can be ruined by just about everything else, most often the weather.

I was camera ready and waiting. As the light intensified, the loosely unpromising clouds coalesced into reflective sheets of Cambodian jungle morning light. Upon confirming the test captures in camera, I looked at my adventure companion and announced, "We're gonna get it!" As the horizon started to sizzle and color flared even outside the camera frame boundaries, the thick crowds of people behind me became energized with delayed agreement.