Dawn

Despite what the park ranger might suggest, climbing that mountain before dawn is a very good thing.



Four hours before the tram will even begin operating...



No crowds of tourists to ruin the dawn. Wonderful quiet.



Wake up early, drink lots of coffee, grab your camera!

There's this whole world before 8:30am I had no idea existed.

Nice! Where is that?

Here are two of my own from last month. Dawn on Mt. David in Lewiston ME. There was a balloon festival, so it was worth getting up there by 6AM for a good view of the town.

That's a beautiful cathedral.

DanaC;387181 wrote:

That's a beautiful cathedral.

Yeah, it is. I'm amazed that Lewiston ME was able to raise enough $ to build it. I guess back in the day, this old mill town had some money.

glatt;387171 wrote:

Nice! Where is that?

Stone Mountain, GA, just outside of Atlanta. It was too hazy to get a decent shot of the city, sadly.

Nice shot of the balloon and city.

Kitsune;387203 wrote:

Stone Mountain, GA, just outside of Atlanta. It was too hazy to get a decent shot of the city, sadly.

It gives a great sense of the quiet though. I like these shots.

So was the hike a difficult one? You know, not like it was Everest or anything like that, but first thing in the morning hiking is different from hiking when you've had a chance to wake up and start the day with a regular routine.

glatt;387222 wrote:

So was the hike a difficult one?

Stone Mountain is an easy walk up as long as the summer sun isn't beating down on you -- the bare, white granite is very reflective and you'll burn to a crisp. The last 1/8th is pretty steep but if I can make it up, anyone can.

The most difficult part is being confronted with this telephone pole at the start of the trail. I guess you're going to want to spit out that gum before beginning your ascent...

Better to stick it there than have it stuck all over the granite path going up the mountain.

Please don't further my belief that all Americans are slack-jawed masticators, chewing insouciantly at everything from a funeral to an orgy...

[COLOR="Silver"](okay, I've just watched too much MTV One, I know it's not a true reflection of US society any more than Jessica Simpson is a typical American woman)[/COLOR]

Sundae Girl;387313 wrote:

(okay, I've just watched too much MTV One, I know it's not a true reflection of US society any more than Jessica Simpson is a typical American woman)

No, but she has pretty boobies.

Dawn at 12,000 ASL, before dawn below. Mount Ranier.

Sun beginning to set - leaving work...

[ATTACH]14689[/ATTACH]

Continuing Jester's transition to sunset, here's a pic from Port Orford, Oregon.

Beauuuuutiful pie!

Wonderful pics.

Pie, you and BigV are really making me crave a trip out west. Drool.

Kitsune, take me with you if you go! :)

I've learned there's no dawn in Chicago. Betting there's no dawn in other metropolitan areas as well.

freshnesschronic;387586 wrote:

I've learned there's no dawn in Chicago. Betting there's no dawn in other metropolitan areas as well.

Wrong. See post #12. Beauty is everywhere, for those with eyes to see. These eyes were traveling to work; during my daily in-city commute.

You may have missed this pretty sunrise too. But you *have* to get your butt out of bed. Dawn's out there--where are you?

Dawn in downtown Atlanta was my absolute favorite time, there. The slow, retreating shadows would generate cool spots in the summer that would create breezes along the streets between the buildings. In many places, it was the only time there was quiet. In the winter, it was always really incredible to wake up early and watch the fog lift and reveal the skyline over the course of two hours or so.

On the opposite side, nothing beats dawn at camp. On the second day of my June roadtrip in the north GA mountains, I awoke just after the sun was up to a strange sound. Crawling out of my sleeping bag in the hopes that the rushing sound was a camp stove getting coffee ready, I looked up to find it was a gas burner overhead!

I recognize that this is cheating. These are sunset shots from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

How's that cheating? The bird one is very nice.

And Kitsune, I like the balloon one.

Here's a sunset from that same MT David in Maine.

Sunset from Mt. Battie, Maine.

I don't get up early enough for sunrises, but they sure are pretty.

glatt;387680 wrote:

How's that cheating? The bird one is very nice.

And Kitsune, I like the balloon one.

Here's a sunset from that same MT David in Maine.

Just that the original subject was "Dawn," and I was posting "sunset." Sunsets tend to be more colorful (but I don't know why - maybe because there is more pollution generated during the day than at night). Also, it's easier to be awake at sunset than at sunrise.

Oh, and I really like the Mt. David sunset.

I *lurve* sunsets.

I have a couple faves already posted elsewhere... Here's the linky.

I'll try to repost here....





didn't work... crap.

Beautiful work guys, really nice. Thanks for the visuals.

Lookin' Out My Front Door...

Ohh. Very nice.

Sunrise in winter off of my mom's back porch.

Beautiful cold morning, Razzmatazz13. Whereabouts is this scene?

Near central Pennsylvania

Damn.

I now feel obliged to get up early enough one day this week to take a dawn photo...

Early morning - on a cruise.

[ATTACH]14788[/ATTACH]

jester - which end of the day was that - for you?

It was around 6:30 am - in the gulf waters in January - probably 1 hr behind my normal time (or ahead)

jester;388575 wrote:

It was around 6:30 am - in the gulf waters in January - probably 1 hr behind my normal time (or ahead)

I just wondered if you were getting up or left over from the night before.

my, my aren't we witty......

ok - here's too more

these are prior to the first one

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Catch the green flash on any of the sunsets, Jester?

Sweet clouds on your morning shots, btw. Love the linings.

Bermuda sunset:

fookin ell!

.

Oh god spode! ahahahaahahaha


fries came out my nose :(

Here's mine from Lake Ouachita in Arkansas. I call it Morning Glory.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2805849540097121429QopzhW

Nice shot, pad. Welcome to the cellar.

My contributions. All taken from the 4th floor of my work, East less than 20 miles from the ocean.:

Last summer in Colorado. It was the morning of the last day at the camp I was working at. We were all hanging out and loading up the buses to Denver airport and happened to notice the sky:

Dawns here suck. They're just stages of grey. First it's black out, then a twinge of grey, then whiter and whiter till its a dull white-gray outside. The weather usually improves into actual, like, daylight around 10.

However, we have some fairly impressive sunsets around here that i honestly just can not get on photograph. I can't capture the full range of colours and light that I see out there on camera.

(click for fullview)

very nice pics, people - including yours Ibram

jester;389640 wrote:

very nice pics, people - including yours Ibram

Are you saying Ibram is not a person? How dare you?

[SIZE="1"]I'm just pokin' at ya here.[/SIZE]

Ibram;389621 wrote:

However, we have some fairly impressive sunsets around here that i honestly just can not get on photograph. I can't capture the full range of colours and light that I see out there on camera.

Let me see if I can help you out IB (even though I get the feeling that you're not very.. fond, of me). What kind of camera are you using? Metering mode? White balance? Tripod? Shutter and Ap.? All that stuff.

theotherguy;389658 wrote:

Are you saying Ibram is not a person? How dare you?

[SIZE="1"]I'm just pokin' at ya here.[/SIZE]

ding, ding, ding - give that man a prize:D

Thanks TOG.

I've been here quite a while. I like the Cellar. Anyhoo, I've seen those red/orangey sunsets too. A digital camera operated by the average person, just doesn't grab the intricacies of color that is really out there.

By the way, how do I post a picture, I tried yesterday and just got a thumbnail, no picture. I tried with

here's a couple - sunsets - in Sanibel.


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[ATTACH]14874[/ATTACH]

paddlegal;389856 wrote:

Thanks TOG.

I've been here quite a while. I like the Cellar. Anyhoo, I've seen those red/orangey sunsets too. A digital camera operated by the average person, just doesn't grab the intricacies of color that is really out there.

By the way, how do I post a picture, I tried yesterday and just got a thumbnail, no picture. I tried with

My pics are all with a digital camera, pocket sized at that.

100_1804.jpg

dammit don't know how to do this

sorry it was a really cool pic, too

binky;389974 wrote:

dammit don't know how to do this

Ok if you want to post a pic go and up load your pics to a pic hosting web site like photobucket or imageshack or any of the other million places. Yea you need to register and create an account. Then you copy and paste the URL to the little popup box that comes out when you press the little thing up on the box where you write messages that looks like a postcard. Copy and past the URL to that box. Enter. Submit reply. your pic will occur on the thread.

TheMercenary;389984 wrote:

Ok if you want to post a pic go and up load your pics to a pic hosting web site like photobucket or imageshack or any of the other million places. Yea you need to register and create an account. Then you copy and paste the URL to the little popup box that comes out when you press the little thing up on the box where you write messages that looks like a postcard. Copy and past the URL to that box. Enter. Submit reply. your pic will occur on the thread.

Okay ty merc, will try again tomorrow- in the midst of my 6 graders homework right now

Bullitt;389752 wrote:

Let me see if I can help you out IB (even though I get the feeling that you're not very.. fond, of me). What kind of camera are you using? Metering mode? White balance? Tripod? Shutter and Ap.? All that stuff.

Picture
Make: OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP.
Model: E-330
Shutter Speed: 1/30 second
F Number: F/4.5
Focal Length: 14 mm
ISO Speed: 320
Date Picture Taken: Aug 9, 2007, 6:46:10 PM


And why wouldn't I be fond of you? Did i get in a fight with you that I forgot about?

Just a hunch I guess. Glad to see I'm wrong.

On to the photography!

First off, if you can work out a tripod or some hard level surface that's always a plus. I don't know how much info like this you already know so I apologize ahead of time if this is old news to you. Anyway, a tripod will help you keep things level and allow you to mess with longer shutter speeds if you so desire. Keep the ISO as low as possible, unless you're after a grainy film look. Keep your eyes open for something to frame the scene with like a pier, a fishing boat, an outcropping of rocks, a lone couple walking, etc.

As for the sunset its self, try under exposing and leaving the white balance on auto. If it looks a little too "cool", set the WB to cloudy and see what that does for you. You always want to expose your shot for the sky, not the ground/sea. Try at first setting your aperture to as small # as it gets. If there is a lot of detail in the clouds that you want to capture, bump it up to whatever the sweet spot is (the aperture that gives the sharpest images) for the lens you're using. For most it's around f/8-11. Don't be afraid to zoom in a bit too. Capture a silhouetted sailboat near the sun, etc. Also try going on Google Earth and looking for good, high vantage points where you can get some city skyline in.

The sunset is constantly changing, so keep checking your settings and reviewing your shots so you can continue to make adjustments as needed. If you have or know anyone with some filters, give those a whirl. I've seen some neat stuff done with warming and cooling filters that really capture the mood of the scene well.

If you have Photoshop and a RAW conversion program, try shooting in RAW and messing with the white balance on your computer. I'm not a huge fan of extreme post-processing in PS. But obviously there are many adjustments you can make to your images in that.

Skip the camera's creative modes and go full manual; you'll learn more and become more confident in your ability to get exactly the shot you envision.

Thanks for the beautiful pictures gang!!

Well I tried the advice, here I am clicking the Insert Image icon and pasted the url of my picture and I'm still getting this.....



Anybody know what's wrong?

paddlegal;390225 wrote:

Well I tried the advice, here I am clicking the Insert Image icon and pasted the url of my picture and I'm still getting this.....



Anybody know what's wrong?

I used the complete address they provide at good-times, but it's for the thumbnail and you have to click on it for the big picture.

OT - paddlegal: is it "padd legal" or "paddle gal"?

I get mine thru the little "paperclip" manage attachments and upload the pics from "My Pictures". Sometimes though I have to compress my pics because the file is larger than what is allowed.

Bullitt;390074 wrote:

Just a hunch I guess. Glad to see I'm wrong.

On to the photography!

First off, if you can work out a tripod or some hard level surface that's always a plus. I don't know how much info like this you already know so I apologize ahead of time if this is old news to you. Anyway, a tripod will help you keep things level and allow you to mess with longer shutter speeds if you so desire. Keep the ISO as low as possible, unless you're after a grainy film look. Keep your eyes open for something to frame the scene with like a pier, a fishing boat, an outcropping of rocks, a lone couple walking, etc.

As for the sunset its self, try under exposing and leaving the white balance on auto. If it looks a little too "cool", set the WB to cloudy and see what that does for you. You always want to expose your shot for the sky, not the ground/sea. Try at first setting your aperture to as small # as it gets. If there is a lot of detail in the clouds that you want to capture, bump it up to whatever the sweet spot is (the aperture that gives the sharpest images) for the lens you're using. For most it's around f/8-11. Don't be afraid to zoom in a bit too. Capture a silhouetted sailboat near the sun, etc. Also try going on Google Earth and looking for good, high vantage points where you can get some city skyline in.

The sunset is constantly changing, so keep checking your settings and reviewing your shots so you can continue to make adjustments as needed. If you have or know anyone with some filters, give those a whirl. I've seen some neat stuff done with warming and cooling filters that really capture the mood of the scene well.

If you have Photoshop and a RAW conversion program, try shooting in RAW and messing with the white balance on your computer. I'm not a huge fan of extreme post-processing in PS. But obviously there are many adjustments you can make to your images in that.

Skip the camera's creative modes and go full manual; you'll learn more and become more confident in your ability to get exactly the shot you envision.

Dawn Thread, "sunset".... Dawn Thread, "sunset".... Dawn Thread... Hmmmmmmmmmmm.... Ok.

TheMercenary;390379 wrote:

Dawn Thread, "sunset".... Dawn Thread, "sunset".... Dawn Thread... Hmmmmmmmmmmm.... Ok.

I was trying to help Ibram get better sunset shots since he commented about them being so good but his shots not quite capturing them. Though it is applicable for sunrises too.

Ibram;389621 wrote:

However, we have some fairly impressive sunsets around here that i honestly just can not get on photograph. I can't capture the full range of colours and light that I see out there on camera.

Happy smartass?

HungLikeJesus;390334 wrote:

OT - paddlegal: is it "padd legal" or "paddle gal"?

I wondered, briefly, about the same division. I have settled on the kayaker image.


eta: review of profile confirms my hypothesis.

Dawn from my back verandah





Dusk at Hamilton Island...



Dusk at Mindel Beach, Darwin

Bullitt;390383 wrote:

I was trying to help Ibram get better sunset shots since he commented about them being so good but his shots not quite capturing them. Though it is applicable for sunrises too.



Happy smartass?

:stickpoke:



:comfort:



:3some:




:rotflol:

:cool:

DucksNuts, those are some great pictures. I like, particularly, the air of mystery in the first two.

Fort Flagler, WA

Later that night....

I love the juxtaposition of the kite and the moon.

I don't get up at dawn , unless I'm getting paid . Here is the sun going down by Devils Tower .

It's blue now, but an hour ago this is what my morning looked like.

DucksNuts,

Your pictures are breathtaking. Are all the mornings that lovely? Fabulous, beautiful. You have some beautiful pictures there. Thank you for sharing.

On the dawn thread ... Aliantha, have you ever done the pre-dawn hike up Mt Warning, in northern NSW? One of the best hikes around, could be done as a two-day trip from your place.

Here are 2 I took in Aruba in July at sunset. Digital cameras never cease to amaze me

I was visiting the Olympic Peninsula very early Sunday. Before dawn, in fact. In plenty of time to compose this very wide shot of Mount Rainier and Sol.

Today's dawn to dusk in a little more than 57s. (4.1Mb Quicktime video) We had a really windy afternoon, hence the violent, sudden clouds. The wind shift towards the end calmed everything down, but no rain.

This wasn't done with the new time lapse camera -- I'm still working on that one.

That's very cool .... but when are we going to see the girls locker room?

Those clouds about 3/4 of the way through are really cool. Not the fast ones, but the slower ones that seem to dissolve and reform right next to each other.

I like these latest projects of yours.

Jekyll Island.













Blue Ridge

Here is a series I took this past March when I was in Bar Harbor Maine. One of the first US places to see sunlight in the am. The balcony of the mansion I was staying in looked east out over the Atlantic. It was so awesome. Enjoy :D

(Nikon Coolpix)

I was talking to my roommate and missed a couple minutes as the sun peeked over the fog... I didn't change the colors, these are natural lighting changes:

At the point of the sun just peeking over some islands a different morning:

This one is my favorite:

The third picture up from this post? The tiny sun makes it look so cold! Beautiful, deep colors!

Very pretty - very nice - thanks for sharing.

Two pictures of a recent sunrise over a plowed cotton field in rural GA.

The sun looks so small on your planet.

:D

Dawn, also our commute. Tink drives, I shoot.

Nice pic V.

yeah.. i like it.. sucks to be on the road before the sun is up though.....gah.

Thank you, gentlemen. In a short while, we'll be in the night driving season. Up in the dark. Drive in the dark. Sit inside at desks during the brief period of less darkness. Drive again in the dark. Go to bed in the dark.

Sigh.

LJ, I do that all the time. It's not that bad...

I watch the sun come up every day I work. Ive seen more sunrises in the last 6 month than in my entire lifetime. The only part that sucks about it is the getting out of bed part.

Big V : :notworthy

I gasped at that photo. Wow.

Although I misinterpreted your phrase "Tink drives and I shoot"... what the hell kind of badass neighborhood do you live in?

BigV;488158 wrote:

Dawn, also our commute. Tink drives, I shoot.

Why are you so much higher than the traffic, overpass?

xoxoxoBruce;488540 wrote:

Why are you so much higher than the traffic, overpass?

I'm tall.


just kidding.

This was taken on I-90, you're looking at the Lacey V. Murrow Floating Bridge. Most large bridge approaches rise from the road level to bridge deck, but in this case, the road's much higher than the surface of the bridge.

Here's a picture taken from the west side of the bridgehead area, looking eastward. The picture was taken when I was approximately where the orange truck is in this picture, just far enough through the overhead trusswork that it doesn't appear in the frame.

ZenGum;488515 wrote:

Big V : :notworthy

I gasped at that photo. Wow.

Although I misinterpreted your phrase "Tink drives and I shoot"... what the hell kind of badass neighborhood do you live in?

Thank you ZenGum, funny and flattering. :)

BigV;488639 wrote:

This was taken on I-90, you're looking at the Lacey V. Murrow Floating Bridge.

I never heard of a permanent floating bridge before. It seemed odd to me since things that float can also sink, and there in BigV's link is the story of this bridge sinking back in 1990. Crazy.

I was greeted by this sight when I went to retrieve the paper the other morning...:)

That's incredible, BigV--you still get a newspaper?!

*snort*

A newspaper is a much better user interface than a web page. Even if the news is 18 hours old.

Hey, I just bought a Sunday paper a week ago. Haven't looked at it yet, but I'll scan it as I pack up the glassware and stuff. Actually about the only thing I miss about not working, is reading the paper at lunch... I really enjoyed that.

Youse guys crack me up. Yeah... I'm old skool like that. I get the paper as much for principle as I do for news. I'm voting with my wallet for the kind of media environment I want to live in, that I want my children to live in. We used to have two papers here in town, and the one I take is just dying more slowly. I don't believe we'd have a better place to live if there were no newspapers, especially local newspapers.

Plus, the paper gives me something to count on in the morning. I mean, in my area, I can't really count on the sun coming up every day. I just got lucky on this day. Rumor, yes. Empirical evidence, no. But the paper shows up each morning.