I took this photograph on 1 August at 5:54 AM at Plage de l’Est in Montreal, Canada.
Montreal is a large city. However, I found many places free from visual distractions that are perfect for capturing both sunrises and sunsets.
Before leaving home, as always, I checked The Photographer’s Ephemeris to confirm that this location would be suitable for photographing the sunrise, which was due at 5:37 AM. The weather forecast looked promising: clear skies with no clouds. I hoped that, a few minutes before sunrise, the horizon would be filled with beautiful colours.
I also had in mind a photograph that I had taken at this location a few weeks earlier.
Knowing what this location was capable of, I was excited to return under different conditions.
A few minutes before sunrise, I was delighted to see exactly what I had hoped for. The horizon was glowing with colour beneath a soft blue sky, while a thin layer of mist floated gently above the river. The calm water reflected both the colours and the mist, creating a peaceful and atmospheric scene.
For the composition, I wanted to include the shoreline and vegetation on the left, together with the small tree and distant shoreline on the right. Even at 16mm, the scene was simply too expansive to fit into a single frame. Consequently, I captured three overlapping photographs to create a panorama.
Before pressing the shutter, I also considered the scene’s dynamic range. The bright sky contrasted strongly with the darker foreground, so I set my camera to capture three bracketed exposures with two-stop intervals for each panorama frame. In total, I captured nine images, which I later merged in Lightroom to produce a single HDR panorama.
Looking at this beautiful scene reminds me of the rewards of getting up early. Nature often offers extraordinary moments to those who are willing to make the effort.
Many photographers believe they need an expensive camera to create beautiful photographs. The camera I used to capture this image cost me only 75,000 Japanese yen, which was approximately US$475. Are you impressed now?
Expensive equipment does not automatically produce better photographs. Careful planning, understanding the light, and becoming familiar with your gear are far more important. Master the equipment you already own, and you will be surprised by what you can achieve.
