Rye photographer Stacey Massey has a new image of Long Island Sound at sunrise, and she gave it a name that fits: "Liquid Gold."

MyRye.com published the photograph Saturday, Aug. 8 as part of its recurring Art of Rye series, which showcases artwork depicting people and places in the city. In her artist statement, Massey described the scene: "The Long Island Sound shimmering in the fleeting morning light."

It is Massey's second Art of Rye contribution this month. Her "Golden Sunrise," a shot of the sun rising over Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary, appeared Saturday, Aug. 1.

Both images belong to a larger body of work Massey calls "First Light, Rye," a project built from her pre-dawn walks along the waterfront. She has described the series as capturing the meeting of sea and sun, birdsong and silhouettes of nature as meditations on presence and renewal. The project also exists as a print-on-demand photo book.

Massey, who lives in Rye with her husband and two children, moved to the city in 2015. She grew up in England as a competitive gymnast with Camberley Gymnastics Club, traveling across Europe and the U.S. for meets. Her photography started during a stint in San Francisco but went dormant when she became a mother.

The creative restart came in 2023, when she fulfilled what she has called a lifelong goal: photographing the Aurora Borealis. The dawn walks along Long Island Sound followed.

She still does handstands in every new place she visits, a leftover from the gymnastics years, and photographs those too.

Her first book, "Fall in Love with Rye: A Photographic Journey," sells for $65 through the HVNY Marketplace. When she announced "First Light" on Instagram in November 2025, Massey noted copies were available at two downtown Rye shops: Arcade Books and Finch & Co. Home.

@ryemarkablemoms: "I love flipping through the pages—spotting familiar places…and realizing there are still so many spots I haven't seen! It's kinda funny how I thought I knew every corner of Rye, but the angles she uses make every place seem brand new!!"

Liz Woods, a Rye realtor who runs the community Instagram account @ryemarkablemoms, featured Massey as a "Ryemarkable Mom" in December 2025, praising how the photographs reframe familiar corners of the city.

Massey invites the public to join her on dawn walks along the Rye waterfront. Her work can be found on Instagram at @sjmasseyphotography, and the Art of Rye series runs periodically on MyRye.com.