Before Sunrise

I have chased many a sunrise in the past (and I still do). One time, Carlo and I were literally driving like mad just to shoot one before harsh morning light reared its ugly head. Whether you are a photographer or not, witnessing the break of day is awe-inspiring. The only catch is you have to be there pretty early to capture it.

I have mistimed shooting a sunrise many times before. In the tropics, the whole event can be over in under a minute or two. Yeah, it's that quick. If you're just setting up your  tripod, then you'll miss it. If you're still fiddling with your camera settings, then you'll miss it. If you take the time to tell the photographer next to you how wonderful it is, then you'll miss it. With these lessons learned, I make it a point to be at my pre-scouted location (usually selected a day before or earlier even) at least 30 minutes before the sun is scheduled to bathe the world in golden light.

*Thanks to the lovely Susan Locaylocay for shooting this picture.

Okay, so now what do you do while you wait?

Shoot the scene before the sun comes up.

You'll often be surprised with what you get. As I have mentioned in previous posts, the camera and the human eye don't perceive the world the same way, so what may look muted and dark to you may look entirely different to the camera. Plus, you can always manipulate your shooting settings to render the scene in front of you in a different way.

  

 Yeah, it pays to show up early. :-)#