Haleakala Sunrise
Sunrise from the summit of Haleakala.
Sunrise from the summit of Haleakala.
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Aug, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken from the top of Haleakala. There's a popular trail from the Visitor's Center that takes about 10 minutes to reach. It's crowded, but less crowded than the visitor center. The only problem is getting there in total darkness as there are rocks and steps on the trail.Time
Haleakala is especially good for photography at sunrise. There's something about the sun popping up over the horizon, 10,000 feet below, that never fails to impress. I've been up there several times and this was my best experience. It's quite cold, for Maui, so most people wait in their cars, only emerging when it starts getting light. You never really know if there will be rain, clouds or an empty sky until the sun comes up. Clouds make all the difference to the sunrise. After the sunrise, there are lots of trails and places to visit in the park. The crater is best in the morning, as it faces East. After you're finished shooting, Kula Lodge has great coffee and Mac Nut Pancakes.Lighting
When I'm shooting staight into the sun, I generally take a reading from the sky without including the orb of the sun in the frame. Of course as the sun rises, you need to adjust. Make sure you're lenses are clean, as it cuts down on flare.Equipment
I used a Canon Eos 6D for this shot with a 15-35mm L series zoom. With the full frame sensor, it gives me a nice wide-angle. The camera was mounted on a Gitzo tripod.Inspiration
Most people shoot sunsets, because they occur late in the day. Shooting the sunrise is harder, due to the early start time and because you have to set up in the dark. It helps to scout or experience the place beforehand. My only goal was to try and capture what Nature was offering that morning.Editing
I generally shoot Raw, process in Lightroom and then do a little tweaking in Photoshop. On this one I used Google HDR Efex, to saturate the color and bring out the 3D aspect of the clouds.In my camera bag
For this shoot, I started with the 6D and the 15-35 zoom. I also had a Canon Rebel III with a 70-200 lens mounted on it, in case I wanted a tight shot of something. The third camera I had was a GoPro 4, which captured a time-lapse of the event unfolding.Feedback
If you have the time, try to visit in the afternoon for sunset. Then you can figure out where you want to be for the sunrise. Haleakala is also a great place to try night photography, with excellent visability of the Milky Way, due to the lack of city lights. Just make sure there isn't a full moon.
