BOOM! That’s the sound of me hitting the floor… …after my wife kicked me out of bed… …five years ago, while camping at Letchworth State Park. Apparently, I was snoring… “Where’s the proof?” I always ask. Anyway. Now what? It was dark. I pondered… hmmm… …”guess I could photograph my first sunrise.” So, off I went. Camera and tripod in hand. This was to be my first sunrise at the age of 51 years and 7 days. You’d think that, after being a pro photographer for 33 years, I’d have this in the bag. Nope. I was nervous. My mind was racing. My palms were sweaty. I could already feel it… ...I was about to miss the shot of a lifetime. Maybe you can relate? Ever been there, feeling like you’re about to miss an important moment? So, the sky was starting to light up. Clouds were rolling through the canyon below, and a few more danced across the sky… …the colors began to pop! But as the seconds ticked by, with the sky shifting fast… I froze! If I didn’t act fast, I’d miss the moment of a lifetime. What Aperture should I use? What Shutter Speed? ISO was easy… after all, I’d always taught my students to use the lowest ISO possible. 100 it is! But next, I had to make a creative decision for the aperture. In an instant, I decided I wanted a sunburst. I knew f/11 or smaller would get me there. But I settled on f/16. So, with seconds to spare, it was time to dial in the Shutter Speed. After reviewing the LCD screen for the sky… 1/30th of a second was required to retain the detail. However, the valley below was extremely underexposed due to the High Dynamic Range (HDR)...
So, I had to create three different exposures to capture the full range of light in the sky and the shadows...
…and boom! There it was. As the sun raced higher up the edge of the butte, I created multiple exposures… several times. The final result, after using Lightroom Classic to stitch the exposures together…
Not bad. But not great. However, at the time, I was thrilled… my first sunrise! But, in hindsight, I could have done better. All it would have taken was a simple shift in my approach. With the “secret key” I had buried deep in my mind all along. But I didn’t realize it was there until I dug it out a week later. That “secret” transformed how I approach EVERY photoshoot… …and you can use it too, regardless of your niche, to create better images! That secret? Planning. It’s simple. But incredibly powerful! And if I’m being honest… I used to hate it as much as anyone! But, as Ansel Adams has said… "A good photograph is knowing where to stand. Every element in the frame should be thought through before you press the shutter. You don't just wait for it to come together; you need to be prepared, both technically and creatively." However, I love this quote from Gregory Heisler better… "If you show up at a location and start figuring things out then and there, you’ve already lost. The true magic happens when you've done your homework. When you know exactly how you’re going to execute, you’re free to capture the unexpected." Check. This. Out… …for 30 years as a wedding and portrait photographer, I’d been doing this all along… …preparing for every event and session. However, it had never occurred to me to use this approach in other genres, such as landscapes, wildlife, nature, or macro photography. So, a few weeks later, with fall colors just around the corner, I "planned" a trip back to Letchworth State Park... Because Mother Nature is always on her own schedule... ...planning was crucial. Planning helped me create my best images EVER (in 20 years of visiting... and no, I never managed to wake up for a sunrise... we were on vacation, after all) at this location…
Oh, and I didn’t have to wait another year to get the perfect images! If you’re worried about missing the shot, planning can be your secret weapon, too. But how do you plan for… …landscapes, wildlife, portraits, or any other genre? Well, you need to use the 5 Ws BEFORE every photoshoot. The 5 Ws are my personal roadmap to creating amazing images, no matter the subject. Want to know what they are? No worries... there's nothing to buy! Just fill out the form below to subscribe to my weekly Photographic Insiders newsletter and I'll send it right over!
I cross my heart and hope to die... ...I shall not spam! Plus, you can unsubscribe anytime.
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