I took this photograph on July 6th at 8:46 pm in Montreal at La Coulée Grou Beach.
Montreal is a big city. However, I found many places free of visual distractions that are ideal for capturing sunrises and sunsets.
From experience, I know that a couple of minutes before and after sunset or sunrise, the sky can display gorgeous colours in the surrounding area.
Before leaving home, I checked the Photographer’s Ephemeris app to confirm that the location was suitable for capturing the sunset, which would occur at 8:45 pm. The weather forecast was good. This spot is an 18-minute drive from home.
Also, I knew that my camera had a Live Time feature that manages long exposures.
On location, I set my camera on my tripod with my gorgeous Leica DG lens and the cable release. I installed a 6-stop ND filter to perform a long exposure. A long exposure would reduce the ripples on the water and accentuate the reflection on the river. When I triggered the shutter, the Live Time process started. Every 4 seconds, the scene and the histogram were updated and appeared on my camera’s rear screen. After 124 seconds, the histogram was perfect to the right without blowing the highlights (ETTR). I clicked again to stop the process.
Looking at the scene, I was amazed by its softness, calmness, and beauty. With all the current tensions on planet Earth, I named this photograph “A Moment of Peace”.
