Sunrise Evolving
Jan, 2016Views
269
Likes
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Peer Award
Magnificent Capture
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2Top 10 rank week 1
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken early in the morning at Cross Lake in Shreveport Louisiana.Time
A lot of people like to go shoot during the golden hour. I like to call this the "pastel hour" It is that time of morning when it is barely still night time but the new days light is just beginning to show in the sky. For just a few moments you can catch amazing pastel pinks and blues dividing the night and day. It is almost like you can literally see day and night at once. This particular photo was taken at around 5:45 am.Lighting
There was not any special lighting for this photo. Just being at the right place and ready to shoot. These colors don't last long so you have to be in place well ahead of time, camera out and set.Equipment
This photo was taken with my CanonT5 which was my first DSLR. It was shot with the 70-300 mm kit lens and was mounted on my late father's old Davis and Sanford aluminum fluid head tripod. That is my go to tripod, that way a part of him is always with me when I am shooting.Inspiration
My love of the outdoors, the lake, the time of morning and the brief glimmer of color are what drew me to this spot and this time of day for the photo. I had taken a few other shots at this time of morning before and had gotten decent results but always wanted better. So that drive kept me going to get the shot.Editing
I did minimal post processing. I did not want to mess with the colors at all. All I did was adjust the sharpness and clarity. I bumped the exposure up just a tad to bring a little detail to the trees. If doing over again I would probably not bump up the exposure but maybe even reduce a little to give the trees more of a silhouette effect.In my camera bag
I have upgraded since taking this picture but I still carry my Canon T5 with Canon 18-55 mm and 70-300 mm lenses. I also have my new favorite the Canon 80D and the Canon 18-135 mm lens. I recently added a Sigma 28-70 mm. I also keep a polarizing and UV filter handy and my remote shutter release. And most importantly, lens cleaning wipes and a dust removal bulb.Feedback
My advice is to know the area. Have a scene in mind and have a location scouted out. Make sure it is wide open so you can have access to as much sky as possible to catch the colors. Pay attention to the weather and make sure you are in place and ready way before the actual sunrise. Know your equipment and don't be afraid to try various settings till you get your desired result. But the main thing is, practice every day, even if in the backyard, and don't give up until you get the shot you see in your head. Good luck and happy shooting!
