Sunrise at Rancho Cuyamaca State Park

[J. M. Livingston]

My first post here, a big thanks to Ryan for letting me know about this forum.

This image is from last Sunday, I'd spent the night in the back of my big suv after staying up late with my son shooting the Milky Way across Lake Cuyamaca. When dawn came, the light woke me up so I slid out and caught the sunrise over this meadow next to the lake.

CC/Comments/Feedback/Suggestions always welcomed.

 

[AlanLichty]

Nice - I like the star effect with the rays of the sunrise.

If this were my shot I would be tempted to add just a little more light to face of the hills on the right. I am guessing you used an ND graduated filter to balance the foreground vs. skies but it can leave dark objects in the scene above the transition line. In this case the hills seem just a bit dark compared to shadows in the foreground.

 

[ckcarr]

Not sure how this was posted, but when I click on it to get super size, the image really does get super sized! Like HUGE! Like 1/4 of it fills my 24" monitor.

 

[Bob Denton]

Thanks for joining. Lots of nice people here.

That sun looks great! Worth getting up for.

 

[JimFox]

Welcome to FocalWorld!

That's great that Ryan invited you! Do you go by John?

This is a pretty cool shot I like how you dealt with the sun.

I look forward to seeing your night shots from there.

Jim

 

[J. M. Livingston]

If this were my shot I would be tempted to add just a little more light to face of the hills on the right. I am guessing you used an ND graduated filter to balance the foreground vs. skies but it can leave dark objects in the scene above the transition line. In this case the hills seem just a bit dark compared to shadows in the foreground.

No filters this day, that would just be a remnant from my editing. I'll take another look at it, thanks for pointing it out.

Not sure how this was posted, but when I click on it to get super size, the image really does get super sized! Like HUGE! Like 1/4 of it fills my 24" monitor.

It's linked off my smugmug site, next time I'll grab the link url for something less than "original" size.

That's great that Ryan invited you! Do you go by John?

Yes, I go by John. Ryan and I have run in some of the same circles online and even though we live in the same area have only managed to bump into each other in person once, about a year ago with a local meetup group shooting in a studio.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Welcome to the forum, good first post, like to see more.

 

[Kyle Jones]

Nice first post! I really like the light along the hills on the right side. I'd be tempted to crop a little off the top to really emphasize the foreground.

 

[Ryan10]

Good stuff, and glad you made it here. That is quite the sun star! I've never been to that location for MW, but I'll have to try it out. I know we need to get out. I have a tentative trip to go to Joshua Tree again in September, so I'll post something about it soon.

 

[J. M. Livingston]

Hills on the right subtly lightened and the image proportionately cropped to be more ground dominant. Almost thinking I'd have been better off changing the aspect ration when I cropped it to by 16x9, just to capture more of the meadow on the right.

 

[AlanLichty]

I like this - the hills feel more consistent with the meadow lighting.

 

[MayD]

I love the sun-star. Cool stuff.