In this video I’m going to photograph the sunrise in front of Ceahlau Mountain. The sun would shine over the mountain and create some red-fire rocks. In the moment I arrived there was a heavy fog on the horizon blocking the sun but above the mountain there were some interesting clouds. I set up two cameras on their own tripod: Canon 60D with Canon 70-200 F4 IS L lens and Canon 5D Mark ii with a wide Canon 17-40mm F4 L lens with a 3 stop ND gradual Lee filter. The tripods are both carbon fiber from Manfrotto 190cx pro3 and 055cx pro3.
First tip for photographing sunrises.
Get in the location early … really early. This way you can establish your shooting points and also the compositions you’ll make once the sunrise starts. Another reason for getting really early before sunrise is the fact that sometimes if there are clouds in the sky there is a big chance of them turning red before the sunrise: this is a powerful photographic moment and you should not miss it!
At first I’m concentrating on details using my telephoto lens of 70-200mm on a crop factor of 1.6x body. This gives me an extra focal length and I can get really close … at least close enough for a landscape photographer.
Second tip of the day
When I saw the clouds having a tint of red I started photographing it. Because of the clouds in the horizon I had no idea how much redness will be in the clouds … so I better make the most of it!
Third tip of the day
Photographing sunrises it’s not easy. You need to know your equipment and also have the technical knowledge of what to do with it but photography it’s not only about that. You need a vision and the desire to express something more than just the simple reality. As a landscape photographer your photos should bring emotions to the viewer.
Fourth tips of the day
Photographing sunrises it’s truly special: that moment when you’re the only one there, in nature while almost everyone else is still sleeping gives me a special feeling. You also have to be prepared for failure: many times the weather websites announce sun with clouds in the morning but many times you can end up with just clouds. Especially in the mountain areas: this means time and money spent without getting any photos.
In the end it’s the experience that counts and that is what makes us better landscape photographers!