BenjaminMWilliamson
Winter Wonder
I made a totally unplanned trip to PHL this morning with Kim in tow. We had just dropped off family at the airport at 6AM, so why not catch the sunrise right down the road in Cape Elizabeth?
Since the sun didn't rise until 7:14, I had some time to walk around and scout the location. I was pleasantly surprised to run into Charlie Widdis, another local photographer, setting up his shot on the cliffs on the 'back' side of the lighthouse. We chatted for a little while, he had a time-lapse going on the Ram Island Light which looked pretty cool, and then I went back around to the other side to get my shot.
This side of the lighthouse really got the better light on this morning because of the cold front moving in from the north. The shot straight into the sunrise was a little dull, with a dark band of clouds on the horizon and not enough clouds above to really light up, as these were. The snowpack is just deep enough to have some nice coverage along with allowing the fantastic rocky ledges to show through.
This shot is a single exposure, something I always strive for, mostly to achieve a more 'natural' look. I pushed and pulled at the levels in Lightroom, most obviously darkening the sky and brightening the foreground. It is really hard to find a good balance between too much or not enough brightness in the foreground. Most of the foreground was in shadow, so I tried to keep it just dark enough to appear realistic.
Winter Wonder
I made a totally unplanned trip to PHL this morning with Kim in tow. We had just dropped off family at the airport at 6AM, so why not catch the sunrise right down the road in Cape Elizabeth?
Since the sun didn't rise until 7:14, I had some time to walk around and scout the location. I was pleasantly surprised to run into Charlie Widdis, another local photographer, setting up his shot on the cliffs on the 'back' side of the lighthouse. We chatted for a little while, he had a time-lapse going on the Ram Island Light which looked pretty cool, and then I went back around to the other side to get my shot.
This side of the lighthouse really got the better light on this morning because of the cold front moving in from the north. The shot straight into the sunrise was a little dull, with a dark band of clouds on the horizon and not enough clouds above to really light up, as these were. The snowpack is just deep enough to have some nice coverage along with allowing the fantastic rocky ledges to show through.
This shot is a single exposure, something I always strive for, mostly to achieve a more 'natural' look. I pushed and pulled at the levels in Lightroom, most obviously darkening the sky and brightening the foreground. It is really hard to find a good balance between too much or not enough brightness in the foreground. Most of the foreground was in shadow, so I tried to keep it just dark enough to appear realistic.