The difference in morning light

TomConline · #1 11-13-2006, 09:21 AM

I just returned from a photography get together from another site. We went to Tenn and Ky. I wanted to share these three sunrises with you to show the difference in morning light.

The first two were taken in Eastern Tenn. The first one is shot in Auto White the second two are shot with the white balance set to cloudy.

In this shot the sun had not yet risen and was just below the horizon

In this one the sun had risen above the ridge of the far mountains and bathed the entire area in a warm glow, I chose to use a cloudy white balance to further enhance the colors.

This one was taken in KY with a cloudy white balance there were lots of storm clouds in the sky helping to refract and filter the light.

I found the different lighting conditions absolutely fascinating and thought you might to.

Suggestions and Critiques always welcomed. I have very thick skin. The more critical the more I like it.

DesertDarlene · #2 11-13-2006, 09:32 AM

These are a really nice study. Beautiful!

WildKittyv1 · #3 11-13-2006, 09:34 AM

Very very cool photos and I like the composition as well. I'm a fan of cloud/sun photographs, even if that is just morning fog, it still counts.

The only thing I would say as far as composition goes is the third picture. I like how you have the trees on either side to frame the sunrise in the center, but just in my novice opinion, if you're going to frame something like that then I think it may have made the picture a little better if the little "crack" in the clouds was centered between the two sets of trees as well. I know people always say not to center things and off center is good, but I think in certain situations, like this, something being centered is called for. I dunno what kind of terrain you were on or what your limitations were, but that's something I would've tried. You may have had to move like 20-25 feet to your left to get that.

Other than that though, I love em!

TomConline · #4 11-13-2006, 09:54 AM

Thanks Desert

Good suggestion Wild, wish I had thought of it at the time. I'd like to see how that would have looked. I was so focused on the framing and layering of the elements and color, I didn't even give it a though.

Rich · #5 11-13-2006, 10:01 AM

Well Tom, it is pretty hard to critique something as awesome as these shots!

The first one is really like a watercolor painting with a perfectly applied wash to the sky! It would make a fine painting!

The second one is ethereal! I find it interesting that you changed the WB and would be interested to see the difference between auto and cloudy in the same photo.

The first two are my favorites because they are a different view of a sunrise/set. I am not bothered by the composition in fact I find it quite good! My Camera Club training I suppose!

What I would do is crop most of the black off the bottom and make it a pano. Cover most of the bottom up with a piece of paper and see the difference.

All in all Tom a fantastic shoot and time well spent.... though too early for me!

TomConline · #6 11-13-2006, 10:20 AM

Good suggestion on the Pano Rich.

Here is the same shoot with some minor exception in comp and speed but give you a comparison of cloudy against auto on the same scene.

Both have it's merit but I think the colors become deeper and darker with the cloudy setting. I have a tendency to like my colors bold and deep.

Rich · #7 11-13-2006, 10:25 AM

Wow! That is quite a change Tom! Another tool in our arsenal! Thanks for showing this!

damar · #8 11-13-2006, 10:29 AM

These are awesome Tom, I do like #1 the best...for the same reasons Rich mentioned.
The warmth of #2 is also appealling.
You had a nice location to shoot from. Way up there, huh?
Lucky!

TomConline · #9 11-13-2006, 11:11 AM

This is a pano I did of from this ridge. It was 8 frames and measures 85" x 15". It gives you an idea of the many areas for composing off of. You could easily find many compositions to work from if the sunrise cooperated with you on the timing it would take.

Windy · #10 11-13-2006, 03:17 PM

Tom these are just stunning. Love that 2nd one!

Windbreaker · #11 11-13-2006, 03:35 PM

Truly outstanding as always. The panovision is wonderful. Fog and sun wait for no man you must have ripped those off fast!

cadence57 · #12 11-13-2006, 10:11 PM

Wow, Tom...

it's almost impossible to be critical about these shots, they are all stunning!! After seeing the difference between auto and cloudy on the #2 shot, I think *I* might have picked a temp in between the two! I like warmer toned photos but I find the cloudy setting to be a wee bit too yellow for my taste, and the auto white balance is just a bit... blah.

Patty Brown · #13 11-15-2006, 09:16 AM

Just beautiful, my favorite is the second also, beautiful coloring....

debsn2paintn · #14 11-15-2006, 10:44 AM

Tom these are so awesome....I'm still thinking WOW! Love that 2nd one, but I really like the first one as well. The last shot is really nice too, I just like the other ones better. On my Camera, I set it to the auto Sunset setting and it warms up sunsets and sunrises, I love the warmer tones! Looks like this was a nice little vacation!

emogirl · #15 11-15-2006, 04:44 PM

Drooling...these are absolutely some of my most favourite Wc images ever!! wow...by the way, what were your exposures?

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