The Right Place at the Right Time 3 - My Favorite Sunrise

When I discussed the need to underexpose certain scenes to get the most out of low light situations, I noted that sunsets are the most common example. Sunrises are similar but too many of us sleep through them and they are therefore less common.

I am one of those people. Beck is an early riser and I stay up late. Regardless, we live in the woods and only see sunrises and sunsets when we’re away from home...and as far as I’m concerned, I only see them when arrangements are made and alarm clocks are set.

One example of sunrise that everyone says you can’t miss is at the Grand Canyon. In 1975, we took a spring break drive away from snow-bound Wisconsin to Arizona. In addition to the snow and freezing temperatures we experienced in Arizona [just lucky I guess], we stayed overnight in Grand Canyon Village so we could experience the awe-inspiring sunrise.

Grand Canyon Sunrise (April 1975)

Waking up when it’s still dark out is difficult for some people but this was the Grand Canyon...one of the Natural Wonders of the World. Alarms were set. We got dressed...for winter. You can see there was snow on the ground at this elevation. Unfortunately, for a great sunrise, you need a clear sky and with the cloud cover, this was the best we got.

Fast forward 37 years to a family Thanksgiving escape to Cabo San Lucas...on the tip of the Baja Peninsula in Mexico. The beaches around the hotels are nesting sites for sea turtles. One evening, the first emerging young ‘tortugas’ alerted guests and staff to a nest that was home to almost a hundred hatching eggs. Trained staff gathered the eggs and hatchlings to keep overnight for release at sunrise...so the babies could make it safely to the sea without being harassed by tourists or eaten by predators. Alarms were set. At least there were fewer clothes to put on. There were no interfering clouds and the sunrise was spectacular.

Sunrise, Cabo san Lucas (21 November 2012)

I believe this was not underexposed enough. The sand is

dark but it’s not the subject of the photo. The sun had

not even emerged and the sky was much redder to the eye.

The photo is not very interesting

Sunrise, Cabo san Lucas, Mexico (21 November 2012)

Taken moments after the shot above, this one could have

been framed better with the horizon a tad higher [my preference]

or lower, in keeping with the ‘Rule of Thirds’ approach to 

composition. I believe it looks better because it was 

underexposed to give the deeper color that confirms the 

emerging sun and the first light of the day.

I believe special sunrises and sunsets are like memorable meals. It isn’t just that the food was delicious. A great dining experience is just as much about who you were with, the place and its ambience, comfort, service and many other things. Sure, the steak was perfect and the drink was just right BUT she also looked spectacular and the server did a great job and you just had a rewarding day at work and they played your favorite song and the walk in the dark afterwards was romantic. The memory can be a composite of many factors.

Thirty years ago, the sunrise in Lutsen, Minnesota was like that...set up by all that happened the day before. We were driving along the north shore of Lake Superior. It was early autumn and the weather was perfect... clear, dry and not too warm. We were staying at a rustic, waterfront lodge...nothing special in the way of amenities. Since it was so nice out, we decided to take a picnic to the lake shore and enjoy the fading light with wine, cheese and snacks. We’ll always remember the rocks we sat on and how accommodating they were. There were places for us to sit as well as convenient ledges for every bottle, food item and piece of gear we had. We called the place ‘Cooperative Rock’.

There was no sunset to watch since we faced east and the sun was long out of sight behind us in the trees. However, the cloudless blue sky over the water gave us a show. As the light faded, the sky displayed every cool color imaginable. While the western sky ran from yellow to orange to red and some of that spilled over to the vast lake, the eastern sky also went through pinks, blues and greens toward eventual black. It was breath-taking...and the company and food and scenery all made it a day to remember.

As the TV ads say, “But wait! There’s more.” Something woke me up in the dark the next morning. There was no plan for sunrise. No alarms were set. I stumbled toward the window and saw this clear, red sky. “Beck! Wake up! Get dressed. We have to get outside for this.”

Lake Superior Sunrise, Lutsen, MN (September 1983)

Again, the shot is a little underexposed to bring out the deeper, red of the sky. The shadows of the shoreline rocks and trees are just silhouettes. If I exposed the shot to make them more distinct, the sky would have been totally washed out and the scene would have been ruined. People have asked what filter I used to get this effect. The fact is the sky looked exactly like this before the sun appeared.

Maybe it isn’t the best sunrise picture I ever took. But, it certainly is the most memorable.