Gear familiarity and scouting are essential photographic elements. It starts on your computer using Google Maps and Photo Ephemeris applications. The big question is: Where are the good spots within a 20-minute drive from home? Look at this beauty for sunset.

One morning in December 2024, I woke up at 5 a.m., which was unusual for me. The big question was, “Where should I go to capture the sunrise?” Using the above-mentioned tools, I decided that Bellerive Park, located along the St-Laurence River, a 17-minute drive from home, would be a good location. Sunrise was at 7:35 a.m. The weather forecasts predicted a partially clouded sky, so I was very optimistic about capturing a colored sunrise. At 7:00 a.m., I was on the river shoreline.

At 7:25 a.m., 10 minutes before sunrise, this scene amazed me: the pink clouds expanding to the left, the lines and trails in the upper clouds, and the reflection on the water. I had to seize this precious moment.

At 24 mm, the lens was unable to capture the whole scene. So, handheld in portrait orientation, using a 24 mm focal length, I took seven overlapped shots to do a panorama, knowing Lightroom is very good for stitching photos. As always, to obtain a perfect exposure (ETTR), I overexposed each shot by 0,7 stops.

Looking at this image, I think I may have found my local sunrise paradise, and this is a very good reason to get up early!