Daybreak Hillsboro Inlet 2
Hillsboro Inlet lighthouse backed by a spectacular South Florida sunrise as viewed from Pompano Beach.
Hillsboro Inlet lighthouse backed by a spectacular South Florida sunrise as viewed from Pompano Beach.
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Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Aperture f/8 ISO 100 Shutter 1/4 Focal Length 18/1 
Pompano Beach, Florida, US
Feb, 2021Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
Hillsboro Inlet on the south side on the jetty in Pompano Beach, Florida.Time
It was June 13th 2013, a week away from the longest day of the year. To get this shot I had to get up at insane o'clock and drive 30 minutes to get to the beach while still almost dark. Then a peaceful walk along the shoreline for 15 minutes to get to the inlet. As the morning twilight grew it became apparent this was going to be an awesome sunrise. After reaching the jetty and finding my spot and shooting for 20 minutes this was the next to last shot of the sunrise. Exact time according to my camera 6:44 EDT.Lighting
Beautiful sunrises are common on the east coast of Florida and this one was spectacular. For a sunrise or sunset I consider exposure bracketing or a graduated neutral density filter a must! If the horizon is completely flat I will use the filter on camera. It saves time in editing. In all other cases like this shot exposure bracketing is my choice.Equipment
Canon XSi, 18-55 Canon kit lens, very old heavy bogen tripod with a solid 3 way head, Lightroom, Photoshop, and On One 2018.Inspiration
Simply it is a spectacular location. It's got everything a sub-tropical beach with an azure blue ocean, a lighthouse, and Florida's amazing skies. Plus this beautiful location was close to my home at the time. For 30 years I came to Hillsboro Inlet often. Sometimes to take pictures, sometimes to fish, and sometimes to just walk on the beach and relax. Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse has easy access to photo ops from a few locations. Around the summer solstice from the inlet jetty the sun rises almost directly behind the lighthouse. One of my favorite spots on the planet but you have to pay for parking.Editing
Lots of editing in fact this was a fresh re-edit done years after the image was shot. Starting with a 3 exposure bracket the basic adjustments and cropping were done on the middle exposure in Lightroom. Then applied the settings to the other 2 images and opened as layers in Photoshop. Manually blended the three exposures I had no choice this was a rare situation where HDR software was useless. Initial slight noise reduction applied. From this point I go to a preset I made for landscapes in ON One software. Then in Photoshop finish up settings which includes split toning, my custom action for a soft light layer, and then final sharpening and noise reduction as needed. Mild glow also applied to the water.In my camera bag
Currently working with 2 Canon 24meg APSC camera bodies both have flip out screens. I cannot say enough on why flip out screens increase your shooting angle options. Three Canon lenses 18-55 STM, 55-250 kit lens, 100 f/2.8 macro. Lens cleaner & cloth, extra cards and batteries, pepper spray (have never had to use it). 2 stop ND Grad filter, Polarizer filter. I'd like to have full sensor camera bodies but I don't worry about not having the best equipment! “The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.” ~ Ansel AdamsFeedback
If you have any beautiful locations close to home shoot them often they never look the same twice. I was shooting at Hillsboro Inlet for twenty years before I got this shot. Look at weather radar and hour by hour forecast to see if it's worth setting the alarm and getting up early to shoot a sunrise. For sunsets a late afternoon storm with a sliver of blue sky on the western horizon will light up the clouds when the sun reaches that sliver of clear sky as it sets. Once you've found that special location all you need it the right light.
