Sunrise above the mountains as seen from the Fred W. Symmes Chapel - Pretty Place, Cleveland SC USA
Sunrise above the mountains as seen from the Fred W. Symmes Chapel - Pretty Place, Cleveland SC USA
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Winner in God's Creation Photo Challenge
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PeteSavagePhotos
February 09, 2023
Stunning image! Congrats on winning the challenge. Well deserved.
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Behind The Lens
Location
Built in 1941, Pretty Place Chapel is an outdoor chapel perched on a rock outcropping in the Blue Ridge Mountains close to the North Carolina state border. The view in the photo is set on Cleveland Ridge overlooking a gorgeous valley and the magnificent Blue Ridge Mountains.Time
Right at sunrise, this is just an incredible place to arrive early and start the day.Lighting
Directly into the sun at a height overlooking mountains is about as head on as you can get.Equipment
I'd been taking a number of pictures with my Nikon D7500 and a variety of lenses. I was curious as to what my iPhone 12 would do with some straight into the sunrise shots. I was pleasantly surprised with the results.Inspiration
Thousands of people a year drive and hike to the top of this Ridge to enjoy the start to the day overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. I'd seen some photos of sunrise from Cleveland Ridge and the Chapel and knew it was on my photo bucket list. It is part of Camp Greenville, a YMCA Camp near Cleveland, SC. The pictures I'd seen were so inspiring. I'd hoped to capture some of what had motivated me to make the trip.Editing
I didn't do much with this other than crop it in a little bit.In my camera bag
Right now I carry a Nikon D7500 and an assortment of lenses. My backpack includes: Nikon Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm 1:2.8E FL ED VR; Tokina AT-X Pro SD 12-24mm F4 DX; Tokina AT-X Pro Macro 100 F2.8 and a Sigma DC OS 17-70mm 1:2.8-4 Macro HSM.Feedback
For an iconic setting, review some available photos that will help you see how things look at different times of day. I have other photos taken at this location prior to sunrise, during sunrise and after sunrise. Don't be afraid to experiment with different settings and take shots that are counter-intuitive, like this one taken directly into the sun.