On a night in November 2025, I consulted my weather application to ascertain the expected conditions for sunrise the following day. The probable forecasts indicated sunny weather with few clouds.
In September and October 2025, using the Photographers Ephemeris App, I determined that the Plage de l’Est location was an ideal vantage point for capturing the sunrise. Please refer to: https://landscapephotographymagazine.com/the-morning-eye-plage-de-lest-montreal-quebec-canada.
Subsequently, I re-checked the application to confirm the continued suitability of this site for the upcoming day. Sunrise would occur at 07:04.
My experience with sunrises revealed that we must be at the vantage point at least 15 minutes before sunrise.
On that day, I arrived at the location 20 minutes before sunrise. I set my camera with the wide-angle lens on the tripod, using the cable release. I was ready! A few minutes later, colors appeared in the sky and reflected on the water. I was fascinated by the delicate clouds.
At a focal length of 16mm, my lens couldn’t capture the entire scene in one shot, so I planned to take three overlapping shots, allowing Lightroom to stitch the three photos together into a panorama.
For the general settings of each shot, I used a focal length of 16 mm, an aperture of f/22, and ISO 200. I voluntarily overexposed by 1 stop to achieve a perfect exposure (ETTR). These settings would generate a 2-second exposure time for each shot. Long exposures have the benefit of reducing ripples on the water and enhancing reflections.
At 06:54, 10 minutes before sunrise, I took the shots. Once again, meticulous planning and a thorough understanding of my equipment proved to be essential elements of successful photography. For me, it’s important to have preferred photographic locations close to my home. Living in a large city, I am fortunate to reach this site in less than twenty minutes.
