A NEW DAWN
As a so-called morning person (ahum) I made up my mind (again) to go out more often in the mornings to capture the first light of the day. Waking up wasn’t the hardest part oddly enough. Having a cat that starts meowing at 5am in the morning wanting to be fed and to go out, helps me to get out of bed and look out the window at how the conditions are.
The conditions for photographing a sunrise were not ideal for a couple of days. but I was procrastinating and always finding a reason not to go out. In the end it’s all about getting out there using my camera and experiencing the beautiful moments outdoors at the same time. Not going out means that the camera stays in the bag and I refrain from using it. Such a shame, because I know I’ll regret it for the rest of the day. There's no point in regretting the things you wanted to do and then blaming yourself for not doing them.
Heading to location at stupid o’clock. Not so stupid yet as the sun will rise at 4.26am on the 21st of June, the longest day of the year, when we’re experiencing over 17.5 hours of actual daylight!
It seems I’m not the only one that's struggling with this lately. While I’m writing this blog, the amazing Scottish outdoor photographer Kim Grant uploaded a new video on her YouTube channel “Visualising Scotland” about why you should just get out of bed early in the morning to capture the landscape when it is illuminated at its best by the rising sun.
She was hitting the nail on the head with her words and explained exactly how I was feeling.
I will link Kim’s video and further details where to follow her adventures at the end of this blog.
With her inspiring video in mind, I headed out in the first week of April on three mornings before the sun rose. Thank you Kim!
Behind the scene image at the collapsed harbour wall in Kirkcaldy.
I checked the sunrise on my phone the night before using an app called PhotoPills. With this app, it is possible to find out exactly where on the horizon the sun would start to rise at the precise location where you would like to take a photo. It just so happened that I could pinpoint an exact location where I could see the sun rise between two ancient remains of a collapsed harbour wall in Kirkcaldy.
PhotoPills app. An app that makes it possible, among other things, to plan every sunrise and sunset. The red pin is my location. The yellow line is the direction where the sun will rise on that particular date. In this case between the collapsed harbour wall.
I’d set the alarm clock and made sure everything was ready for the next morning. I was so prepared, that in fact I used the timer-function on the coffeemaker for the first time so I would wake up to the aromas of fresh brewed coffee.
The next morning I was motivated and determined to go out. The alarm clock I set to wake me up was more of a backup as the cat was earlier. I got up, looked out the window and surveyed the sky above the River Forth. It looked more promising than the last couple of days! The conditions were still not perfect as there was only a band of clouds on the horizon to be seen where the sun would rise, but it didn’t stop me from getting out this time!
You can’t wait for the perfect conditions to arrive or you’d be staying indoors forever and would miss a great opportunity to enjoy all the amazing impressions you can find during the dawn of the day.
I was on location well in time to position myself on the exact spot I’d planned the night before and had plenty of time to set up my camera and also importantly, to enjoy my fresh brewed cuppa.
I used a reverse grad ND filter to darken out the middle part of the scene where the sun would rise for an even exposure. I also used a 6-stop ND filter to slow down my shutter speed to smooth out the movement of the water.
A set-up using Kase Wolverine Filters.
The band of clouds on the horizon narrowed down significantly and the sun started to rise right above it. Seeing a combination of the landscape and the light coming together in a single moment is just braw!
It shows you that weather conditions can change quickly and it shouldn’t stop you from going out to experience these beautiful moments.
I drove back home satisfied and was looking forward to seeing the results on the computer. I could look back on another beautiful morning spent outdoors full of nature, tranquility and photography.
But more importantly, I couldn’t blame myself the rest of the day for something I wish I had done.
The processed image of the collapsed harbour wall on Seafield Beach in Kirkcaldy during sunrise.
GEAR USED for this image.
Camera: Canon EOS R
Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM
Filters: Kase K9 Holder, 3 Stop Soft Reverse Grad ND, 6 Stop ND
Tripod: Manfrotto BeFree Advanced GT XPRO
SETTINGS:
Focal Length: 16mm
Aperture: f/11
ISO: 100
Exposure Time: 15 seconds
Keeping up the motivation
Admittedly there are times when I look at the conditions and can’t be bothered going outside. I’m looking for perfection in my photos and set myself a high standard, so when I think there’s nothing out there of interest for me to take an image of, I often stay indoors continuing to procrastinate.
Instead I just should go outside at that moment even if I don’t come home with the desired result - that’s totally ok. Not heading out means having no pictures at all, and therefore I’ll never be able to create pictures of stunning scenery.
I always come home with something:
I've been able to use my photography equipment which I always enjoy immensely
I've had my exercise
It's good for my mental health.
And I’ve had a great experience out in nature.
There’s so much to gain from venturing out!
If I don't capture the perfect image, there’s always some photo and or video material I took that I can use in another creative way such as a story on instagram and Facebook.
I’m glad I did go out the last couple of mornings before sunrise.
There’s something magical being solitary outdoors during the dawn of a new day. It almost feels like you’re more receptive to your surroundings. Smelling the fresh salty air when out on the coastline, watching the waves crash, looking at the wildlife and seeing the sun rise and how the changing light affects our landscape, all have such a soothing and enchanting effect.
Waiting for the sun to rise at Fife Coastal Path.
A swimmer walking back to the beach after embracing the cold waters of the River Forth during sunrise at Kinghorn Beach.
Fortunately it’s not all about the photography, it’s also about the experience of being outdoors. That brings me back to being more receptive and aware of your surroundings. For example; all the wildlife that can be spotted. In the direct area alone, I recently spotted among other things deer, hares, lots of birdlife like birds of prey, curlews and nesting magpies. Even just seagulls and crows working together chasing the bird of prey away in an epic sky chase! And also not to forget to mention, we could enjoy seeing “Barney” the humpback whale in the River Forth for several weeks in a row last February!
Also the unfolding of the Flora in this Spring Season made me aware of something I’ve never noticed before. Whilst being out during a walk, I saw a larch tree which had started to unfold its fresh light green needle-like leaves with amongst them bright pink cones. I never knew that these pink cones, often referred to as “larch roses’ are coloured pink when starting to grow and only become brown when they ripen after pollination by the wind. Just absolutely stunning to be able to see all of this when you’re spending your time outdoors!
Larch Roses - The growth of reproductive cones which become brown when they ripen after pollination by the wind.
So, if you're feeling a bit lethargic or lacking motivation, and in doubt whether or not to go outside - just go. You always feel better once you’re out. Even if the weather conditions are not too good. The bad weather can actually be invigorating. And here in Scotland we just have to embrace all that the weather throws at us. After all the varied weather is a major factor in making the country we live in so beautiful.
I can’t wait to get out more experiencing nature during the dawn of a new day.
Thank you so much again for reading. Feel free to leave a comment down below and don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter if you want to receive updates first when new blogs and other news will be available.
- Mario
Kim Grant
Beside her populair photography YouTube channel where I personally enjoy watching Kim’s adventures in Scotland, she just recently announced to embark on a new creative side project and to start a second YouTube channel “Creating Connection”, in which she will upload videos about helping you to connect more deeply with yourself and nature, focusing on self-care, connection to nature and spirituality. If you’re interested in these subjects, and I think many of us do even more so during the last year, feel free to subscribe to her new channel with her fist video hopefully out in a few weeks. You can find all links to her pages below Kim’s video that motivated me to go out more in the mornings.
