In June 2025, I spent three wonderful weeks with friends in Newfoundland, capturing its natural beauty, including whales, birds, icebergs, and stunning landscapes.
The night before, I used The Photographer’s Ephemeris to confirm whether the vantage point was appropriate for capturing sunrise; the weather forecast was also good.
On that day, sunrise was at 05:00. Fifteen minutes before, I arrived at the shoreline.
Once on location, I set up my tripod, camera, cable release, and Leica DG wide-angle lens. From experience, I know this lens produces pleasing star effects when used at a very small aperture, in this case f/22. I also installed a 10-stop ND filter, envisioning a long exposure to smooth the water’s surface texture while enhancing reflections and emphasizing the clouds.
I used a 20 mm focal length to frame the shot. I was inspired by the rule of thirds to position the shorelines in the lower third of the frame, leading toward the rising sun.
Typically, I shoot at ISO 200, but after testing, I found that with the 10-stop ND filter the exposure time was too long, so I raised the ISO to 400.
I utilized the live time feature on my Olympus camera to achieve a perfect exposure (ETTR), which took 120 seconds. Long exposures allow me to enjoy the scene for an extended period, providing a unique visual pleasure.
This beautiful moment reminded me of the importance of planning and being familiar with my gear. Canada truly is a fantastic country for photography!
