Date Taken: 10/09/2014
Location: Pounding Mill Overlook, MP 413

I finally found the perfect overlook to get a great sunrise shot of the Blue Ridge Mountains! There are so many different things to consider when finding a spot for the perfect photo. Can I see past the trees? Do I have the right view? Does the sun rise in front of me or behind a mountain? Everything came together for this photo at Pounding Mill Overlook to produce a BEAUTIFUL sunrise and I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to capture it.

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Camera: Canon 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon 70-200mm
Focal Length: 150mm
ISO: 400
Shutter: 1\160
Aperture: F16
Filters: HDR
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: I’ve been looking for a “perfect” sunrise location for quite a while. I look for areas where trees and other objects aren’t obstructing the sun and a clear view of the sunrise and mountains (i.e. the sun won’t rise behind a mountain). For this photo, I placed the horizon line on the bottom third (never split your photo in half with your horizon) and the sun in the left third, following the Rule of Thirds. I did one shot with a neutral density filter, and also took five exposures (bracketing) so that I could LIGHTLY process the photo with HDR. I preferred the HDR shot, but I do NOT believe in highly processed photos. I only used HDR to increase the dynamic range (the gamut of highlights and shadows that the human eye can see in a photo). I’m very much a realist, so I like my photos to look like the image I saw at the location. I had my camera on a tripod, with the quick release mounted on the ring of my 70-200mm lens. I also attached my shutter release cord to the camera to minimize shaking/blur.

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