Urban Glow – Panama City Bathed in Morning Light

After capturing the perfect sunrise just a few days earlier, I kept waking up early, hoping to catch that same magic again. But as photographers know all too well, nature rarely repeats herself. Each morning was different—sometimes the clouds were too thick, sometimes the light too flat. Then, a few days later, I looked out at around 7am and saw something new.

The sun was already above the skyline, rising confidently into a blue sky, flooding the city with warm, golden light. It wasn’t the subtle drama of a sunrise—this was full-blown urban radiance. I quickly reached for my camera and decided to approach it differently. Instead of chasing a single frame, I captured a sweeping panorama—a wide view of Panama City in silhouette, the sun glowing brightly at its centre, casting long soft shadows across the buildings.

What I love about this shot is the contrast—the hard, angular lines of the skyscrapers set against the smooth gradient of the sky. You can see the city stretching endlessly, layer after layer of glass and steel, bathed in morning warmth. This is a place full of life: buzzing streets, clinking coffee cups, people heading to work, markets opening up. But from above, in that quiet early hour, it’s all softened by the light.

Cities have their own rhythms, their own moods. In Panama City, the heat builds quickly. Even in the morning, you can feel the humidity begin to rise. It’s not always easy to be outside, but light like this makes it worth it. Moments like these remind me why I travel, why I carry a camera, and why I keep chasing the next image—even when it doesn’t go exactly to plan.