Awakening Suns and my Thoughts
Jan 10, 2012 08:45:27 #
Awakening Suns and my Thoughts
Well I am not a pro, and not even an amateur but in 73 days I shall be an accredited self taught pre-amateur which along with two bucks gets me a pretty decent cup of coffee.
Because of the awakening, the coffee plays an important roll helping my awakening whilst I am awaiting the suns awakening. Being a potential pre-amateur it is necessary that I show up at my spot for the rising while it is still dark as every time I think I am an amateur, I show up too late.
I use two cameras, a Rebel XT with a 70 300 zoom and a T2i with a 17 85 lens. This gives me the option of faster changes and no accumulation of dust in my Rebel because I do not have to change lenses. My favourite settings for the glow pre-dawn, taking into consideration that there will be not to many clouds on the horizon, are playing with TV priorité de vitesse (speed priority in English???) and going back and forth to manual. Then it gets serious because I figure that I have 15 minutes of good shooting. If I am at the shore and there is no wind, I see those tiny six inch waves at low tide and the rays bounce over the sparking crest, giving me maybe 5 minutes at most for some sweet shots. At this moment I have my Rebel on a tripod to eliminate shake, but shoot the T2i hand held. Time is precious here.
On water shots, I want something to break up the monotony. Hey you have the horizon, the sun and maybe a stretch of beach, definitely not much there for me. I set up where I can include birds, boats, breakwaters, a pier, grasses etc. The great silhouette of a bird perched on the end of a jetty with a red or yellow sun rising in back is so nice. Some of my favourite places are around Norfolk, VA, Ocean View, Ft. Monroe, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel off of the pier, Willoughby Spit and along a bay or river in town. Portsmouth down at the end of High St. I mention this area only because I know it very well and have found some cool spots where I am alone and not pass off as a tourist.
Now up here in Québec, we get different sunrises. I mean setting up a tripod at -10° F. barehanded denotes ones desire to acquire the status of a pre-amateur. Also here comes the sun two inches next to a barn, Im all ready and pumped up and at my precise moment I roll down the window reach out an click my Rebel while also using my other one. Oh, I forgot, we always have wind up here and parked so as to get a few shots with the window down also means that winds enter the tunnel my window made and it cools down my coffee right quick. So Im in my truck, the window lowered, a cold coffee beside me, my nose is running and along comes THE shot I had in mind this morning. I mean it is tough climbing the ranks.
The best sunups around here are caught by being on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River but unfortunately I live on the south shore. That means only one thing, camping. I hate camping along the river, being alone boondocking in a pre-chosen site and getting there the previous day, enjoying a wine and cheese supper, a small six-stick fire and up real early because in late June at 4:00 AM it gets light, which means being rigged by 3:30 for dawns early light. Of course I could drive up to the Appalachians which are just south of here, a half hour drive, but as much as I hate camping Id rather drive an hour and spend the night. You catch an Appalachian sunrise youll be shuddering while youre shuttering. My settings again vary because I have often trees or waterfalls or small rivers to include and do I do a +1 or should I try a few at 1/800. Heck with it, Ill do both. I also try cellophane hand made and handheld filters. I mean you can catch a red sunrise so red youd think that the biggest storm of the century is on its way.
When Im lazy I like low clouds, fog, mist whatever. No rush there and the pics are fine, in my point of view anyway.
So, soon I hope to be upgraded to pre-amateur and with this newly acquired status maybe my shots will be better.
Enjoy your early morning outings ..
Well I am not a pro, and not even an amateur but in 73 days I shall be an accredited self taught pre-amateur which along with two bucks gets me a pretty decent cup of coffee.
Because of the awakening, the coffee plays an important roll helping my awakening whilst I am awaiting the suns awakening. Being a potential pre-amateur it is necessary that I show up at my spot for the rising while it is still dark as every time I think I am an amateur, I show up too late.
I use two cameras, a Rebel XT with a 70 300 zoom and a T2i with a 17 85 lens. This gives me the option of faster changes and no accumulation of dust in my Rebel because I do not have to change lenses. My favourite settings for the glow pre-dawn, taking into consideration that there will be not to many clouds on the horizon, are playing with TV priorité de vitesse (speed priority in English???) and going back and forth to manual. Then it gets serious because I figure that I have 15 minutes of good shooting. If I am at the shore and there is no wind, I see those tiny six inch waves at low tide and the rays bounce over the sparking crest, giving me maybe 5 minutes at most for some sweet shots. At this moment I have my Rebel on a tripod to eliminate shake, but shoot the T2i hand held. Time is precious here.
On water shots, I want something to break up the monotony. Hey you have the horizon, the sun and maybe a stretch of beach, definitely not much there for me. I set up where I can include birds, boats, breakwaters, a pier, grasses etc. The great silhouette of a bird perched on the end of a jetty with a red or yellow sun rising in back is so nice. Some of my favourite places are around Norfolk, VA, Ocean View, Ft. Monroe, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel off of the pier, Willoughby Spit and along a bay or river in town. Portsmouth down at the end of High St. I mention this area only because I know it very well and have found some cool spots where I am alone and not pass off as a tourist.
Now up here in Québec, we get different sunrises. I mean setting up a tripod at -10° F. barehanded denotes ones desire to acquire the status of a pre-amateur. Also here comes the sun two inches next to a barn, Im all ready and pumped up and at my precise moment I roll down the window reach out an click my Rebel while also using my other one. Oh, I forgot, we always have wind up here and parked so as to get a few shots with the window down also means that winds enter the tunnel my window made and it cools down my coffee right quick. So Im in my truck, the window lowered, a cold coffee beside me, my nose is running and along comes THE shot I had in mind this morning. I mean it is tough climbing the ranks.
The best sunups around here are caught by being on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River but unfortunately I live on the south shore. That means only one thing, camping. I hate camping along the river, being alone boondocking in a pre-chosen site and getting there the previous day, enjoying a wine and cheese supper, a small six-stick fire and up real early because in late June at 4:00 AM it gets light, which means being rigged by 3:30 for dawns early light. Of course I could drive up to the Appalachians which are just south of here, a half hour drive, but as much as I hate camping Id rather drive an hour and spend the night. You catch an Appalachian sunrise youll be shuddering while youre shuttering. My settings again vary because I have often trees or waterfalls or small rivers to include and do I do a +1 or should I try a few at 1/800. Heck with it, Ill do both. I also try cellophane hand made and handheld filters. I mean you can catch a red sunrise so red youd think that the biggest storm of the century is on its way.
When Im lazy I like low clouds, fog, mist whatever. No rush there and the pics are fine, in my point of view anyway.
So, soon I hope to be upgraded to pre-amateur and with this newly acquired status maybe my shots will be better.
Enjoy your early morning outings ..
Jan 10, 2012 08:57:51 #
I couldnt think of a better accompaniment for my 2nd cup of coffee than reading this "blog".
I hate all of the labels we use to describe ourselves. So, with your permission sir, I am adopting 'Pre-Amateur'. Its as good as any, and it speaks to being humbled every time I think I've got this photography thing mastered.
Well spoken my friend.
:thumbup:
Rocco
I hate all of the labels we use to describe ourselves. So, with your permission sir, I am adopting 'Pre-Amateur'. Its as good as any, and it speaks to being humbled every time I think I've got this photography thing mastered.
Well spoken my friend.
:thumbup:
Rocco
Jan 10, 2012 09:01:44 #
Jan 10, 2012 10:46:55 #
I'm with Rocco but it takes 3 or 4 cups of java for me.
Welcome to you
Sarge
Welcome to you
Sarge
Jan 11, 2012 08:40:04 #
That was a good one roadrunner. Thank you - now to go get another cup of mud!!
Jan 11, 2012 10:58:58 #
Jan 11, 2012 11:17:01 #
Jan 11, 2012 11:35:32 #
Roadrunner wrote:
LOL. Thanks for reading me anyway, a cup of tea maybe?
I'll take you up on that Roadrunner!!! :lol:
Jan 11, 2012 14:09:05 #
Check a truck stop or RV store for a 12v hot-pot / coffee cup heater.
And, maybe, a dual mount device - to hold both cameras on your tripod?
And, maybe, a dual mount device - to hold both cameras on your tripod?
Jan 11, 2012 14:36:28 #
rocco_7155 wrote:
I couldnt think of a better accompaniment for my 2nd cup of coffee than reading this "blog".
I hate all of the labels we use to describe ourselves. So, with your permission sir, I am adopting 'Pre-Amateur'. Its as good as any, and it speaks to being humbled every time I think I've got this photography thing mastered.
Well spoken my friend.
:thumbup:
Rocco
I hate all of the labels we use to describe ourselves. So, with your permission sir, I am adopting 'Pre-Amateur'. Its as good as any, and it speaks to being humbled every time I think I've got this photography thing mastered.
Well spoken my friend.
:thumbup:
Rocco
Well, I am going to describe myself as a pre-post amatuer'...which means having taken pictures for 30 years and leaving it alone for 10...I have forgotten EVERYTHING...and its not the coffee...maybe had something to do with the tequila
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