Sunrise

[MaxineO]

Was very excited about getting up at 5am to go and take my first sunrise shots.
Cant say i am 100% happy with them, but here is a couple that i got.
Any suggestions on what the best settings are for sunrise shots.

Thank you

[Captured by Grace]

Those are beautiful! The horizon in the 2nd one is tilted. I like the 1st image better, because it seems you have included some foreground in this one, and there is more contrast, the sun is lower, and there is a reflection on the water.
I didn't see your EXIF information posted here, so I don't know what settings you had your camera on. Usually though, a slower shutter speed is good for low light conditions like this.
Very nice images.

[navcom]

Captured by Grace is right...we need some EXIF info to help you out. Take a look at the critique forum rules for information on what to post. It will help us help you better. Thanks Maxine!

[Angelinawilliams23]

This is a very natural pictures. I like sunrise pictures because It is beauty of nature. I like first one picture as you present over here. sunrise pictures always feel fresh through natural beauty. This is very good photography!

[MaxineO]

Hi Guys
Thank you very much for your comments.
I shot these photos using a Canon 1000d settings were:

AV setting
75-300 Lens
85m focal point
Shutter 1/6
F/32.0
ISO 100 with a -.03 exposure compensation

I hope this is all the info that you need to help me!!!

thank you

[navcom]

Hi Maxine! Thanks for the info. I think exposure-wise you aren't too far off for a shot right out of the camera without a filter or HDR processing (which I'm assuming is the case). Your foreground is pretty dark but that is typical as your camera cannot record a perfect exposure due to the high dynamic range of the scene.

Dynamic range is the range between the brightest and darkest spots in an image. In the case of a sunrise, that range is huge. Your eyes can see about 20 stops of light while your camera can only record about 9. Because of this, you have to choose between a properly exposed sun with dark foreground or a proper foreground with a blown out sky. If you want both exposed properly, you need some help.

The most popular remedy is the graduated neutral density filter. It's half shaded and half clear and the transition zone between both is feathered. You place the shaded area over the sky and horizon leaving the clear area over the foreground. This "pushes back" the intensity of the sky making the dynamic range smaller and easier to record by your camera. If you want a more detailed explanation on how one of these works, just let me know, or you can do a search on the forum or the internet...tons of info out there.

The other way is by bracketing your shots...one exposed for the foreground, one exposed for the sky, and one inbetween. Then you combine them together in Photoshop, Photomatix, or any number of HDR software solutions available. This increases the dynamic range of the image. But be careful. If you are going for the natural look, HDR techniques can be overdone quite easily leaving something that looks more cartoonish.

On composition, I would try to coax you away from centering the sun and the horizon. It generally makes an image more boring. By offsetting both, the human brain is stimulated more to look at the image. This is where the rule of thirds comes in to play. It's not a hardened rule that you must follow...just a good guideline to get your creative juices flowing.

It's also good advice to try and have a subject in the foreground. While the sky and sun are definitely pretty, they usually don't make a compelling image all by themselves. Consider the sun like frosting on a cake. Most people don't like to eat frosting all by itself but when combined with cake, it's awesome! Approach it from that angle and I guarantee you that you will have winning shots. Here is the example I've used before to illustrate this....





These are two shots I took of the same sunrise at the same time with the same camera. The only difference is the composition. The first one is just a typical centered sun and horizon. The second incorporates the rule of thirds and has a prominent subject in the foreground. You can see that the first one, while pretty, is really quite boring. Not much really there to hold your interest. The second one allows the sun to shine down on (or "frost") the subject and it's surroundings. The sun is not the main subject but it's support of the composition is obvious.

I would also lower that aperture setting a bit...maybe around f/11 or f/13. At f/32, you are getting some pretty good diffraction which will cause the image to be slightly soft.

Bravo for getting up early! You are on your way!

Yes...I was bored today and thought I'd write a book...and sunrises are my passion!

[MaxineO]

Hi Navcom
Thank you very much for your very detailed advise, very much appreciated and very helpful.
You have now led me to another area of learning DIFFRACTION, this is something that i have not come across as yet, so will start reading up on that!!
I love your comment of the icing on the cake, that definitely makes the whole thought process easier to vision.
I havent ventured into the bracketing procedure as i found photoshop had me a little frazzled at times and would love to have the title on my photo that says NO POST PRODUCTION EDITING USED!! although i do tend to adjust my contrasts in portraiture, i love the high contrast look.
I took the liberty of having a look at your gallery and your shots are AMAZING!! i love every single one of them. I will definitely aspire to come up to your standards.
Once again thank you very much for all your advise it has been very helpful.
Happy snapping!!
Maxine

[navcom]

No problem Maxine. Thanks for the compliments! And don't worry about post-processing. I know no professionals that don't. Even one of the most famous landscape photographers of all times, Ansel Adams, was known for his "darkroom magic".

Good luck and don't forget to post your successes!

[Michael_2010]

A good sunrise is my favorite landscape feature. I love the solitude and being surrounded by nothing but nature at its best. It is always best to plan ahead with a sunrise shoot, because you will be working with low light conditions and you will want to be ready to start shooting as soon as the sun peeks over the horizon.

Finding interesting foreground subjects that align with the sunrise seems to be getting tougher for me. I'm seriously thinking about packing a realistic model sail boat in my SUV and using it just in case. lol