Thread: Sunrise.

Originally Posted by Proraso Man

Maybe try a slightly longer exposure time, or lower you ISO to get more color/detail out of the flowers in the foreground next time.

For any photo/graphic design geeks out there, this is good advice when taking a single exposure.

However, the color levels in the shots I've posted, with the angle on the sunrise I used, are not possible with a single exposure.

The reason is that the sky is very bright at sunrise compared to the ground. The ground is still lit primarily by moonlight and startlight, while the sky is on fire.

There's really only two ways to get full color in this situation, and they really amount to the same thing.

Your first option is use use what's called a graduated neutral density filter. Basically, it's a piece of glass you stick in front of your lens that is dark on one side, and clear on the other. You position the filter so that the sky is darkened enough that you can get a good exposure of the ground, without the sky being pale and over exposed.

The advantage to this method is that you only have to take one shot. The downside, is that the horizon isn't straight forcing you to create small areas along the horizon line that are either over or under exposed.



The other method, which is what I did for these images, is called an HDR (High Dynamic Rang) composite. You take one photo that is correctly exposed for the entire scene. This will have some color in the sky, but not much. You'll also be able to see the flowers, but they'll be dark.

Then you take another exposure that is properly exposed for the sky, with the flowers in near total darkness, and a third that is properly exposed for the flowers with the sky completely burned out white. Then, these images are composited together digitally. It's a lot more work than a graduated neutral density filter, but the results are much better IMO.

If anybody is really interested, I can post photos of the three eposures I used for one of these images for comparison.

The photo looks magical with all the colours -- what a great technique!

No sunset, but here's another evening at sea:

Wow GREAT pictures!!

I prefer the sunrise on the Ocean...

I will have to look for some of my pictures to post.

I remember living in Hawaii, nothing better than watching the sun rise or set on the water.

Mount Seymore from my balcony just before dawn on July 29th.

Prior to my eye problems one of my hobbies was photography. I still like to take a few pics now and again, but I don't have the equipment that I used to have (CannonA1 with an assortment of lenses and filters). Now I'm stuck with a cheap digital camera (Sony Cybershot 1.3megapixel). Anyway, this one was made in June 2004 at Snowdale State Park, in Salina, Oklahoma.

Here's a sunrise over the Rincon Mountains here in Tucson

Freebird it's still a good pic:-) I do know what you mean I used to have a Nikon F and a Nikkormat with a bunch of lenses. I did my own black and white developing etc. It was fun!

Originally Posted by Gunner777

Freebird it's still a good pic:-) I do know what you mean I used to have a Nikon F and a Nikkormat with a bunch of lenses. I did my own black and white developing etc. It was fun!

Thanks! Digital just doesn't seem the same though does it? I never got into developing as a hobby, but did do some professionally, but not normal camera film. I worked as a paste up artist in the screen print industry. We used sheet film, developing anything from an inch or two square to 2 or 3 feet, all black and white of course.