A Westport artist's new book offers a rare glimpse at some of the most exclusive gardens in southwestern Connecticut.

Stacy Bass released her second book, "Gardens at First Light," on Tuesday.

It is a collection of 200-plus photos captured at the break of day, which for Bass meant waking up in the middle of the night. The project started as an assignment for Westport Magazine.

"I was surprised by my reaction to it. I had sort of a visceral reaction to being in the garden moving around by myself, and at that incredible time of day, and I think I was hooked at that first garden," she said.

The other surprise in Bass' story is that she didn't start out as a photographer. She was an attorney working in the entertainment industry.

"After taking pictures more as a hobby, I said I really want to try to do this professionally. And I put up a website, and very luckily an art director who I did not know, but was a friend of a friend, got a link to the website and was impressed and sent me a note saying 'I think you have something here,'" she said.

The two have now been working together for 11 years.

"I think everybody has some kind of gift, and I like to think that this is mine. I certainly feel very connected to it and very passionate about it and love doing it, so if my images are making people happy and people are responding to them and moving them, then that's all good," Bass said.