Shooting at dawn - the wide: Part 2

Shooting at Dawn - the Wide: Part 2

After setting up and patiently waiting for the perfect conditions, we're now at the crucial moment as the sun is just peeking out from behind the trees.

In This Lesson You'll Learn To:

• change your composition as the light changes
• flag your shots to avoid flare
• shoot wide shots with front to back sharpness

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
• Flag

Capturing the Sunrise

The light changes second by second at this point, and it's a case of how far you can go before the sunlight shines directly into the camera lens and causes flare. Shoot as many exposures as you can to catch the different characteristics of this light.

Be sure to keep checking your focus, as looking directly into the sun can cause your focus to soften.

As the sun rises, you'll start to get some flare lines. A little bit of flare can be nice, especially within a sunrise image, but too much and the lines will reduce the contrast in the rest of the image.

Re-compose to Get the Right Light

When the sun does finally break through the horizon and shine directly into your lens, you can shift your camera a little to one side to capture the highlights of light it's shining into a different area of the garden.

You can go in tighter for these shots - around 35mm. As the sun will likely be shining onto the side of your lens, extend the lens hood and use your flag if needed.

Stay Aware of Your Surroundings

You need to work quickly to achieve sunrise shots, but don't forget to continually check what's going on in the sky, as well as beyond your frame, and observe how the light is changing. Be ready to adjust your settings accordingly, or adapt slightly to get the best out of the situation you're presented with.