It's all about the light ... Jerry Mercier

There are certain places in the American west where all you need is sunrise or sunset light to strike the rocks and they seem aglow. 

Badlands National Park in South Dakota is one of those places.

Just after sunrise the colors are beautiful.

Though you have to work fast before the colors start to shift.

Just a little cloud cover or a slight change of angle between photographer, rock and sun can make a lot of difference.

It's compose, focus and shoot. As the clock is always ticking.

It's a lot of fun working with the light, shadows and shapes.

After less than an hour the sun was high enough that the colors had changed dramatically and everything looked very different. I used the self timer then tripped the shutter release and dashed over 35 yards to put myself in the photo before I left.

Having success with the last image I thought I'd do it one better. So I tripped the shutter and sprinted, then scrambled up the eroded formation in front of me only to almost run right off the top. I came to a stop and threw my hands in the air just before my 10 seconds were up. it was a steep drop on the other side and I was relieved I hadn't gone off the edge.

Another beautiful morning in the badlands.