kiffb

Sunrise over Sete at Port Marseillan 2-120611

Sunrise over Sete at Port Marseillan 2-120611

Getting out of bed at 5:15 has it's rewards sometimes!

Beautiful cloud formations, very still conditions and the MOST amazing light I have seen for...
Read more

Getting out of bed at 5:15 has it's rewards sometimes!

Beautiful cloud formations, very still conditions and the MOST amazing light I have seen for a while, all mixed in to produce a truly spectacular sunrise.
Read less

Canon EOS 7D

settings

Aperture f/11.0 ISO 160 Shutter 1/10

upload_date

Jun, 2012

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549

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+13

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Nicely done

nice

Beautiful, congrats!

congrats

Fantastic. Congrats

very interesting capture . great shot

wonderful capture .. congratulations

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken over an inland salt-water lake (étang) on the south coast of France near the busy fishing port of Sete called the étang de Thau. The étangs are well known for their oyster production, as well as many wild birds including flamingos.

Time

I was camping down by the coast just so that I could get out to do some photography, thinking that it would be around some of the smart marinas and old ports. I woke early (around 5am) and looked out of the tent to see the night sky just beginning to lighten towards the east and a thin cloud cover. This can often be a great recipe for a stunning dawn, so I grabbed some clothes and of course my camera kit and rushed off towards the small port of Marseillan. I got there around about 5:30am and spent the next 20 minutes scouting around for a good location. I finally settled on this location, where I had to shimmy out on a small stone wall to get clear of a security gate to get an unrestricted view. My tripod was balanced on the edge of the wall. I would like to have got lower but there is no way I could have balanced myself and the camera-tripod setup on the narrow wall.

Lighting

As the sun comes up, it shines up on to the clouds and you can get the most amazing light show as the sun illuminates the under-side of the clouds. However, the sun will probably be too bright to photograph directly at this point resulting in a photo with over-exposed points and washed out colours around that. I waited for the sun rise a bit more so that it just start disappearing behind the clouds. I was still able to get that uplighting effect but without the over exposure. I took multiple exposures so that I could blend them later.

Equipment

This was taken with a Canon 7D using and EF-S17-85 lens. I took 3 frames at 0.3, 1/5 and 1/25th sec at f11. I use a manfrotto 55CX3 tripod with a 322RC2 Grip Ball Head.

Inspiration

I was shooting covers for a local monthly magazine and they wanted something coastal. I decided to spend a weekend camping near the coast. The light in this region is far too harsh during the day, especially in summer, so I knew that I would need to get the light at either end of the day. I had spent the evening before looking around the area and taking some shots and short-listing so particular venues for the coming mornings and evenings.

Editing

Yes, this shot was a multi-exposure blended image or HDR. I tend to blend the images myself rather than using an automated HDR processing, so this shot was blended using the Lightroom Enfuse plugin. I then took it into Photoshop to add some detail and tonal depths. I tend to add detail using a highpass filter and then vary the opacity so as not to overdo the sharpening. I then added a layer using Topaz Adjust, Denoise and another Adjust filter at 10% opacity. I then masked off some of the reflection and blurred it to make it look more natural, especially around the stern of the barge on the left side.

In my camera bag

About 4 years ago, I changed from Canon to Sony kit. So now I carry a Sony A7 with a Sony 24-240 lens. I dont need any other lenses with this. I will normally keep a polarizing filter on as the light around here can be very harsh. In lower light, I will remove this. I always carry a pack of ND filters along with the filter mount. And of course, my trusty Manfrotto tripod and a remote control. I will have 2 or 3 spare batteries and a backup SD card. A lens blower cleaner and brush.

Feedback

Try and try again. You have to get into a habit of getting up early and getting out. You won't get good shots every time. Occasionally you might not get anything. Dont give-up too soon ~ especially in the evenings as the light can still be good for an hour after the sun has dipped below the horizon. The very minimum I go home with is a bag of croissant for breakfast!

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kiffb

Sunrise over Sete at Port Marseillan 2-120611

Getting out of bed at 5:15 has it's rewards sometimes! Beautiful cloud formations, very still conditions and the MOST amazing light I have seen for... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow kiffb

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Getting out of bed at 5:15 has it's rewards sometimes!

Beautiful cloud formations, very still conditions and the MOST amazing light I have seen for...
Read more

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