Shooting at dawn - the wide: Part 1

Shooting at Dawn - the Wide: Part 1

You're joining me at 4:30am on the longest day of the year in the Sussex Prairie Garden, where we are planning to photograph the sunrise. Located just outside Brighton, it's an 8-acre site designed in a naturalistic style and packed with 50,000 plants.

In this lesson you'll learn to:

• bracket your exposure
• use early morning light
• adapt to rapidly changing light conditions

Recommended previous lessons:

• the exposure triangle
• understanding cameras and lenses
• neutral density filters

In My Kit

• Camera
• 24mm - 70mm lens
• Neutral density graduated filter
• Tripod
• Cable release
• Lens hood

Settings

I've chosen an aperture of F/16 to gain sharpness from the foreground through to the background. In order to achieve the optimum amount of sharpness throughout the image, I've chosen my focus point to be roughly a third of the way into the frame. To retain all the detail in the bright sky, I'm using a neutral density graduated filter. My camera is set to ISO 100 with a shutter speed of 1.

Composing the Shot

If there isn't any architecture to inform your composition, look for structure and areas of contrast within the planting itself to shape the frame. You're looking to create defined areas of interest in the foreground, mid-section and background that all complement each other. Consider where you want the light source to be positioned - either centrally or off to one side.

Using Apps to Prepare for Sunrise

To capture the perfect sunrise shot, you need to have an accurate idea of exactly when the sun is actually going to rise. Using an app such as The Photographer's Ephemeris will provide you with the times and positioning of sunrise and sunset.

When to Start Shooting

In the morning, the light is gradually getting more harsh, so you want to start with your wide shot to make the most of the really soft light, then you can move onto the tighter shots as the light gets harder. Start shooting before the sun is in the optimum position, so that you have some shots that are clear of direct light. Even if you're using a neutral density graduated filter, you may still find you need to bracket your exposures to cover all the bases.

Be cautious of the wind picking up, as you'll be shooting at a long exposure. Wait for moments of stillness and use a cable release.

You'll likely be standing quite low in the garden, so don't forget to look behind you to see where the light is falling on high points in the trees. This will indicate how much time you have before the perfect moment.