I took this photograph on September 28, 2025, at 06:21. The result reflects two fundamental elements of photography: careful planning and familiarity with one’s gear.
As mentioned in a previous publication, I used The Photographer’s Ephemeris to identify local sunset and sunrise locations that I could reach in less than twenty minutes. The weather forecast was favourable, and sunset on that date was at 06:39 pm. Experience has taught me that arriving at the vantage point at least fifteen minutes before sunset is essential.
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.
To ensure I captured the full dynamic range of the scene, I programmed the camera to take three exposures with a two-stop increment, allowing me to merge them later into an HDR image in Lightroom.
As the sun began to set over the distant shoreline, I repositioned the tripod and refined my composition using a 20mm focal length. I set the tripod between the two-coloured trees to capture the rays of light. The composition also includes beautiful layers of colours, shapes, forms, and textures, while placing the sun on the left side of the frame, guided by the rule of thirds.
When I saw the sun and its reflection mirrored on the river beneath a pure blue sky, I released the shutter. For a photographer, it was a dreamlike moment to witness and capture.
Montreal is a big city, and I am very proud to have made the effort to find good locations for sunrises and sunsets. These moments are striking!
The scene does not contain visual distractions. To be honest, on the left side of the setting sun there was a small, ugly electrical structure holding electrical wires. Using AI in LR, I removed these elements and their reflection on the river.
It is worth asking yourself whether there are interesting locations close to home where you could experience and photograph such a magical moment.
