Sunrise over the Rock?

[Reed]

We are going to be at Seneca Rocks in West Virginia this weekend. I want to try to something different then the 1000s of photos already taken. For those of you that don't know Seneca Rocks (99.9% of you), it's a rock wall sticking out of a mountain range.

http://www.bluegraytrail.com/images/senecarocks.jpg

So, for you experts out there, what's the chance of getting a shot with the sun just coming up over the rock wall. I do have 3 Cokin grad ND filters. Can I get a shot without completely blacking out the rock or foreground or just blow out the sky? According to The Photographer's Ephemeris, the sun will rise above the wall about 30 min. after sunrise. The shot would be almost the same as the above photo

[RecurrentNerve]

Well, it's certainly possible. An ND grad will definitely be useful, preferably a soft-edged one (even more preferably a sunset/sunrise one). Simply meter for the rocks (spot metering will be useful here) and pop the appropriate filter in.

Aim to get there at least half an hour before you want to take the shot, so you have plenty of time to set up, and when the time comes, take plenty of shots, as in sunrise/sunset conditions the light changes by the second.

[Mso]

Had to say this.... they isn't "The Rock" us Aussies are the only ones with THE ROCK!

sneaks off............

The rocks look pretty good though and I hope you have a great time and come back with awesome photographs.

[navcom]

It will be hard to get with an ND grad without causing some sort of "darkening" along the upper portion of the rocks on either side of the opening. But depending on the light, it might be acceptable or something you might be able to fix in post processing.

I would try a soft ND grad but also snap some series shots for possible HDR processing later. The ND grad is usually preferred as it will yield the best color rendition but this way you have both bases covered just in case.

Hope that helps!