This was the start of my day last Sunday AM. I went to bed at about 10 PM to get ready to be at the Wahclella trailhead at 5 AM. Nothing special about that. At about 1 AM my 3 year-old wakes up crying and wanting Mommy and milk. I don't budge since my wife usually takes care of those things, but it does wake me up, and I go back to sleep. This happens again at about 2 AM. He's having a rough night.
So I "sleep in" until 4 AM despite wanting to get up at 3 AM. I'm walking out the door at about 4:30 and look up at the sky. Clear as a bell - it may not be a good day for waterfall shots after all. So I went to the Women's Forum to try to get those Marc Adamus patented predawn shots. I get there and see the glow, the sun's coming up soon. I get my equipment out of the trunk of the car and start hunting for comps.
Doh! The sun's already up! So I hurry up and start slapping things together and taking exposures. This shot is the result of rushed planning
Even so, let me know what you think. It's a quick PS slap job unless everyone think its worthy enough to keep.
Kevin
Techs: 2 and 3 stop grad, f/16 (I think), short shutter PS blend
Great comp, but a few things bug me a bit. The fact that the sun is darker yellow than its reflection on the river makes it look really odd. I can see a little bit of "filter-resedue" on the tree - darker near the top - that could use a little dodging, and it looks like you might have gone a little overboard with the highlights / shadows filter on the sky, the halo is pretty visible. Run this one through the wash more thoroughly and I think you'll have a definite keeper.
Posted by Curtis Knight on June 16, 2006 at 11:34 AM
Hey Kevin, I was there too! Did you see that orange beam shining down into the gorge just before the sun broke over the ridge? I was rushing to get my tripod legs extended, and just as I set it down on the ground, the sun was up and the moment was gone. I was in the upper section of the parking lot, but I knew my lenses wouldn't handle the shots without some horrid flare so I didn't even press the shutter release. I watched the show for a few minutes and then folded up my gear and headed down the road.
There was a young gal up there who came over to ask me questions about how to get a good sunrise shot. I imparted some of my meager knowledge, but during the course of the conversation she mentioned in passing that she'd never watched the sun come up... This gal was probably in her mid-20's, maybe 30... I tried not to react to the statement, but I just thought to myself, man, how can someone get into thier mid-20's and never have watched a sunrise...
I'm sure the full version looks better than this jpg, Kevin. I think that if you were a good marketer you could sell the dickens out of this photo to magazines and for ads. As a wall hanger though, I don't think so.
Wow...what a story Curtis. That's kinda bizarre that she'd never watched a sunrise before. Kevin, buddy...you know I think you're cool...right? ya know...we're solid and all that...but this image just doesn't do much for me. The comp is nice...but the overall feel to me is yuck.
Posted by Darren White on June 16, 2006 at 10:30 PM
Kevin, I like the composition but the brightness of the sun and the reflection on the water are a bit harsh for me....also I would have cloned out the 2 dots (sun glare reflection)....if there is a way you can soften the direct light it might help it a bit....just my opinion!
Kevin,
I agree that iit needs more work. Looks like the shadow & highlight tool was over used. I have to admit that I am struggling with this one. I've come back to it many times and just can't "bond" with it.
Thanks all! I was on the fence, but now I fell off I think it's worth a revisit for a predawn shot. But it's been done a million times there. I'll find another spot
Curtis, I did see that lady just before the sun rose. We nodded each other's existence and then I went running down to the other end to try catch something. I thought I saw someone else up at the top, but couldn't tell who it was. Next time you see a guy in an old green Jetta, it's probably me.
Discussion
7 repliesThis was the start of my day last Sunday AM. I went to bed at about 10 PM to get ready to be at the Wahclella trailhead at 5 AM. Nothing special about that. At about 1 AM my 3 year-old wakes up crying and wanting Mommy and milk. I don't budge since my wife usually takes care of those things, but it does wake me up, and I go back to sleep. This happens again at about 2 AM. He's having a rough night.
So I "sleep in" until 4 AM despite wanting to get up at 3 AM. I'm walking out the door at about 4:30 and look up at the sky. Clear as a bell - it may not be a good day for waterfall shots after all. So I went to the Women's Forum to try to get those Marc Adamus patented predawn shots. I get there and see the glow, the sun's coming up soon. I get my equipment out of the trunk of the car and start hunting for comps.
Doh! The sun's already up! So I hurry up and start slapping things together and taking exposures. This shot is the result of rushed planning
Even so, let me know what you think. It's a quick PS slap job unless everyone think its worthy enough to keep.
Kevin
Techs: 2 and 3 stop grad, f/16 (I think), short shutter PS blend
There was a young gal up there who came over to ask me questions about how to get a good sunrise shot. I imparted some of my meager knowledge, but during the course of the conversation she mentioned in passing that she'd never watched the sun come up...
I agree that iit needs more work. Looks like the shadow & highlight tool was over used. I have to admit that I am struggling with this one. I've come back to it many times and just can't "bond" with it.
Curtis, I did see that lady just before the sun rose. We nodded each other's existence and then I went running down to the other end to try catch something. I thought I saw someone else up at the top, but couldn't tell who it was. Next time you see a guy in an old green Jetta, it's probably me.
Kevin