Sunrise in the Freestate
May, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken next to the N1 highway approximately 2 kilometers from the Kroonvaal 1-Stop filling station.Time
I took this image at 07:52 on 16 May 2016. This is approximately 2 kilometers from the 1-Stop.Lighting
The image was shot directly into the sun, as seen behind the left tree. I had to move a couple of meters to set it up so that the sun is behind the tree, thus creating the silhouette of the trees.Equipment
This images was shot using a Nikon D90 with a 18-55mm kit lens at 55mm.Inspiration
My sister lives in Welkom, Freestate. On this particular day, I had to meet up with my brother-in-law at the 1-Stop to collect a parcel that had to be taken to Johannesburg. I left Jo'burg just before six that morning and knew that the sunrise would follow shortly after at 06:15. This was one of the few times that I would have my camera open, and not hidden in the center console of my car. As much as I love Jo'burg, I am not oblivious to the potential of a smash-and-grab robbery. Since it was winter, the air was hazy with smog. After some shots halfway through the trip I gave up on a decent photo. However, as I turned around on a bridge everything fell in place. This was the image I wanted! .Editing
There was fairly little done to the image, compared to some of my other images. Looking at the Lightroom history only the following was done in post-processing using the sliders. Exposure: -1.91 Contrast: +2 Shadows: +5 White Clipping: -100 Black Clipping: -14 Highlights: -24 Temperature: 5300K The RAW image was a bit blown out. By dropping the exposure and highlights I could get some of the detail back. Increasing the shadows and contrast further enhanced the detail. Although the golden glow was present in the RAW file at 5000K, the adjustment to 5300K made it not as overpowering. I exported to Photoshop, and tried to use some curves and levels. In the end I only settled on a 16x9 crop.In my camera bag
I use a Lowepro Fastpack 200 as my 'go bag'. Although the contents change every so often to include filters, clamps or gels, the core equipment always remain the same. A Nikon D90 with the 18-55mm lens attached. It is most probably my most often used lens, apart from the 50mm 1.8 which is also in the bag. The DOF on this lens is amazing. Although I carry the 55-200mm lens with, I seldom use it. Instead of the 55-200 I would rather use the Tamron 70-300mm. And finishing the core kit off is the Nikon SB-600 Speedlight. Needless to say there are various spare batteries and SD cards hidden in the bag.Feedback
Be prepared! It may sound cliched, but shooting a sunrise/sunset image can be tricky. You have minutes to set up and execute with no second chances. Whenever I have a particular image in mind, I mentally rehearse camera settings and possible scenarios over and over again. By the time I get around to shooting a particular image, the setup is second nature. And above all, have patience. You are more than likely going to miss one or two, and then be rewarded with an amazing image you never see again. Appreciate it!
