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VA Beach Sunrise
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VA Beach Sunrise



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This photo makes me feel like I'm back in Virginia Beach, allowing the waves to splash against my legs as I bask in the warmth of the sunrise....
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This photo makes me feel like I'm back in Virginia Beach, allowing the waves to splash against my legs as I bask in the warmth of the sunrise.
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upload_dateSep, 2015

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Awards

Staff Winter Selection 2015
Top Choice
williammontano sarahgenskow
Absolute Masterpiece
haleybeaumont Athmigha
Outstanding Creativity
amberhelm

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Around the World Photo Contest By DiscoveryTop 30 rank week 1

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Tags

#beach #ocean #sunrise
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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo at the ocean front in Virginia Beach about a week before I moved across the country, to Washington State, with my "just married" spouse.

Time

This particular morning, I woke up about 5am, had some breakfast and coffee, grabbed my camera bag on my way out the door and headed to the beach! This being my last week in Virginia, I was trying to soak up as much of the warm, beautiful sun as I could. My feet touched the sand at about 5:35. I walked towards the water as the glowing, red ball of fire peaked its way above the horizon.

Lighting

This photograph is purely the golden sunlight reflecting off of the Atlantic ocean.

Equipment

Surprisingly, this photograph was taken with my android cell phone camera. I had the Galaxy S5 at the time which is a water resistant phone.

Inspiration

I was sitting at the shoreline, soaking in the magnificent view while the waves slowly splashed on my legs. In this moment, I wanted to capture this gorgeous scene to share with others. I had my Canon Rebel on me, but I wasn't prepared to bring it into the water. So I grabbed my phone and did the best that I could to show the view through my lens.

Editing

I did a little image enhancing through the phones studio app. I generally add a little contrast, saturation and adjust the highlights/shadows for a camera phone image. When I edit for my camera images, I mainly use Lightroom to enhance the Raw files.

In my camera bag

I like to keep things simple. My bag usually consist of my Canon Rebel T3, my 50mm 1.8 lens and my 75-300 lens. I keep a cloth to wipe my lenses. Depending on what I'm shooting, I may have a reflector and a speed light. I rarely end up using them, up until now at least. I keep batteries and chargers in my bag too.

Feedback

Enjoy the peaceful moment that comes from watching the sun rise. Give yourself that time to give your mind a break, don't overthink every little detail or worry about what you may or may not capture. Allow yourself to be in the moment, watch the waves dance through the ocean as the spotlight is on it. The lighting will continue to change, notice how you feel and when you are feeling that "awe" feeling, put your camera as low as you can without soaking it, tilt your camera up towards the sun and notice how the image looks in your phone. Trust yourself to know what the moment is that you want to capture and share.

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