On a night in October 2025, I checked my weather application to see what conditions to expect for sunrise the following day. The forecast suggested sunny weather with some clouds.
In September, I used the Photographers Ephemeris App to identify “Plage de l’Est” as an ideal location for capturing the sunrise. You can refer to this link for more information:
The Foggy Morning Star, Plage de l’Est, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
After finding this location, I rechecked the application to confirm that it remained suitable for the next day.
The following morning, fifteen minutes before sunrise, I set up my tripod and camera, equipped with my favorite Leica DG wide-angle lens, known for producing star effects at minimal apertures (f/22). I was captivated by the curve of the clouds on the opposite side of the river, which resembled the shoreline on my side, creating a beautiful, expansive view that looked like an open eye.
At a focal length of 16 mm, my lens couldn’t capture the entire scene in one shot, so I planned to take the initial photo as the sun rose fully above the trees. After capturing that shot, I would slightly turn the camera to the left to overlap the first image, allowing Lightroom to stitch the two photos together into a panorama.
To capture the full dynamic range of the scene, I programmed the camera to take three exposures with a two-stop difference, anticipating that these images could be processed into an HDR photograph in Lightroom. I composed the shot using a 16 mm focal length and set the aperture to f/22.
As the sun rose above the distant trees, I activated the shutter. I then turned the camera on the tripod to the left to capture the other portion of the scene, allowing the camera to take another set of three exposures.
When I returned home with the six shots, Lightroom successfully created an HDR panorama. I was impressed to see the sun, its twin, and its little brother reflected on the river! The star effects added a dynamic touch to the scene, reinforcing the imagery of an open eye.
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.
