Sunrise for Florida, January, is roughly a quarter past 7 am. Most mornings this year I was on the beach for a morning, pre-dawn, walk camera in hand. This day, the 9th, the clouds were promising, no to heavy on the horizon and scattered, cumulus clouds otherwise. For the promise I brought the full frame Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, Canon lens 24 mm f/1.4L II USM fitted with a graduated .6 ND filter sitting on top of a Manfrotto BeFree Carbon fiber tripod.
A graduated neutral density filter has a portion shaded with gray to produce a “2 stop” difference in exposure between the darkest shade and clear glass with, between, a gradual feathered reduction in shade. In this way, the dark foreground and bright sky are balanced.
A carbon fiber tripod folds into a compact shape. At about 2.5 pounds it fits into a suitcase with the least weight possible for a reasonably stable platform. Using it, I am able to take a sequence of frames of the identical scene, changing camera settings as I go along.
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Sunlight, low in the western sky, was perfect for mirror-like reflections in the retreating surf.
Exposure: 1/250 sec at f / 4.0, Focal Length: 24 mm, ISO 125
In a few weeks, after the “Slievenaglogh View” series now underway, I will present a week of these images moving from pre-dawn to sunrise.
A slide show of these images. Use is to compare the effect of longer vs shorter exposure time and f-stop.
Exposure: 1/250 sec at f / 4.0, Focal Length: 24 mm, ISO 125 Exposure: 1/6 sec at f / 22, Focal Length: 24 mm, ISO 125
Gorgeous
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There are sixteen series images progressing through one sunrise.
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You were very patient!
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Beautiful reflections!
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Thanks, Emma. This beach goes on for thirty miles or more.
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Gorgeous!
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Thank You
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Appreciate the details on equipment and exposures – thanks! Looking forward to more in this series – I lived 17 years on Florida’s east coast (West Palm Beach). That was long ago, but nice “going back” via photos.
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There will be a full week, starting February 29th, leap year day (no connection).
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Love those sunrises, Michael. A wonderful way to start your day! 📚🎶 Christine
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