Early Morning/Day Break/Misty Mendips Shoot. Advice please.

Tom_Chettoe

Tom_Chettoe

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Toggy, toggy, toggy, oi, oi, oi !

Hello hello, hope everyone is doing well this summer season. I havent posted in a little while and have decided before going out and taking the pictures I have in mind, that I would come here as a first port of call and get some advice from the pros.

My plan is to wake up early, (which in itself as a former student shall be momentous) around 5am to trek out and find a vantage point to capture some low lying mist, and sunrise pictures over the Somerset countryside.

I havent attempted this before and weather permitting I'd like to try this several times.

What problems or issues of light should I take into account with early morning shots?

What sort of A or S settings should I use?

I have a Nikkon D50 with an 18-70mm lens.

Thanks in advance for any comments or ideas to help me improve.
 
As you are getting up at 5am the sun will be risen. I'd get up earlier so you are at your vantage point when the sun is rising - why waste an opportunity?
 
I won't be wasting the op, I just put 5am as a rough estimate, I can google the sunrise time for tomorrow.
 
Go back to bed and capture sunset instead? :p

Do you have a tripod? If so you can do lower exposure times and therefore keep ISO lower, if of course you're going somewhere you can set it up.

I'd stick it in A mode instead of S personally, so long as your exposure time is maybe 1/100s? I think you'll be fine on that side.

Or of course you can go full manual and try and get it right like that.
 
It can often be difficult to find early morning mist in mid-summer, even if you can get up early enough! The nights just aren't long enough for it to form.

It would be best to do a recce first.

You can find out in what direction the sun will rise by using "The Photographers Ephemeris" (see web). At this time of year it will be almost north-east, and it sets in the NW.

Do you have a car? Can you sleep in the back seat so you're on location at first light?

j
 
get up brent knoll or crook peak opposite around 4 am...then you will be able to see the mists rising on the levels

ex burnham on sea man
 
I think you'll find the nights at the moment are too warm and there is a low pressure looming.

Best conditions are a hot day followed by a clear much cooler night, with a high pressure and no wind. If there is still water nearby then even better.

When mist does arrive (Usually better in spring and autumn) It's best to be on a hill over looking some lowlands. A tripod is a must and some graduated neutral density filters are a big advantage.
I would also scout the area first with a compass and when i find the right location i would be there before first light with everything ready, a hand towel over the camera and lens to keep the dew off and have a cup of coffee whilst waiting for the sun to rise.

I would also shoot in manual with an aperture of around F16.

Just my opinion but it works for me.

2lbf1fq.jpg


2mezgp3.jpg


o6a793.jpg
 
Striking Pictures Mark, I too was looking for some advice more about lenses, equipment and settings etc, think you covered it well :)
 
I agree with Jeremy - being there with the right conditions is far more important than your settings (which are still important but even in auto you'll get reasonable results!).

The key thing for me is to scout it out. My big mistake is thinking that getting up early guarantees me a good shot - and the opposite is almost always true: I'm not in the right position, the weather's not right, etc and I feel frustrated and that I've wasted my time. Best advice would be to check out where you think you want to be, plan where the sunrise is going to happen and then it's a matter of either a) luck or b) experience/planning to get the right conditions. There's nothing worse than everything else being right, but you're still farting around trying to find a compelling composition - so work that out first, plan to be there and the rest falls into place IMO.
 
dfawkes said:
I agree with Jeremy - being there with the right conditions is far more important than your settings (which are still important but even in auto you'll get reasonable results!).

The key thing for me is to scout it out. My big mistake is thinking that getting up early guarantees me a good shot - and the opposite is almost always true: I'm not in the right position, the weather's not right, etc and I feel frustrated and that I've wasted my time. Best advice would be to check out where you think you want to be, plan where the sunrise is going to happen and then it's a matter of either a) luck or b) experience/planning to get the right conditions. There's nothing worse than everything else being right, but you're still farting around trying to find a compelling composition - so work that out first, plan to be there and the rest falls into place IMO.
Click to expand...

:thumbs:
 
Francesca said:
Striking Pictures Mark, I too was looking for some advice more about lenses, equipment and settings etc, think you covered it well :)
Click to expand...

Thanks francesca.:)

dfawkes said:
I agree with Jeremy - being there with the right conditions is far more important than your settings (which are still important but even in auto you'll get reasonable results!).

The key thing for me is to scout it out. My big mistake is thinking that getting up early guarantees me a good shot - and the opposite is almost always true: I'm not in the right position, the weather's not right, etc and I feel frustrated and that I've wasted my time. Best advice would be to check out where you think you want to be, plan where the sunrise is going to happen and then it's a matter of either a) luck or b) experience/planning to get the right conditions. There's nothing worse than everything else being right, but you're still farting around trying to find a compelling composition - so work that out first, plan to be there and the rest falls into place IMO.
Click to expand...

I don't agree with shooting a scene like a dawn in auto mode. There are too many variables for the cameras sensor to cope with. The images will either be over or underexposed.

My advice would be to set up in manual. Set (As a starting point) the aperture to F16 and see what your cameras light meter is telling you. If need be "chimp" If the image is too light, use a faster shutter speed. If it's too dark use a slower shutter speed. :thumbs:

Also i am a big fan of graduated neutral density filters. Get it right in camera and it can save you loads of time post processing.
 
Merc said:
I think you'll find the nights at the moment are too warm and there is a low pressure looming.

Best conditions are a hot day followed by a clear much cooler night, with a high pressure and no wind. If there is still water nearby then even better.

When mist does arrive (Usually better in spring and autumn) It's best to be on a hill over looking some lowlands. A tripod is a must and some graduated neutral density filters are a big advantage.
I would also scout the area first with a compass and when i find the right location i would be there before first light with everything ready, a hand towel over the camera and lens to keep the dew off and have a cup of coffee whilst waiting for the sun to rise.

I would also shoot in manual with an aperture of around F16.

Just my opinion but it works for me.

2lbf1fq.jpg


2mezgp3.jpg


o6a793.jpg
Click to expand...

great shots...to really help the first one take out the contrails
 
dfawkes said:
I agree with Jeremy - being there with the right conditions is far more important than your settings (which are still important but even in auto you'll get reasonable results!).

The key thing for me is to scout it out. My big mistake is thinking that getting up early guarantees me a good shot - and the opposite is almost always true: I'm not in the right position, the weather's not right, etc and I feel frustrated and that I've wasted my time. Best advice would be to check out where you think you want to be, plan where the sunrise is going to happen and then it's a matter of either a) luck or b) experience/planning to get the right conditions. There's nothing worse than everything else being right, but you're still farting around trying to find a compelling composition - so work that out first, plan to be there and the rest falls into place IMO.
Click to expand...

As an outdoors type person and practically an slr beginner, I beg to differ and say it isn't all you need to do. And I don't think using auto is the answer.
 
Merc said:
Thanks. Like this?;)


16k49q0.jpg


Already done. These were just quick throw ups to show what i meant.
Click to expand...

supah doopah

sorry old chap...i have been slated so much about contrails

and dont throw up so much..:lol:

i really like the shot..othewise i wouldnt have looked so close at it
cheers
 
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