Analysis of a sunrise photo shoot at Lake Winnipesaukee in NH

How you ever wondered how a photographer created a specific photo?  What was the process of identifying the location, the time of day, camera settings, choice of lens, composition etc?  So if you're curious, please join me on an analysis of 4 photos I captured on December 27, 2020. 

Early morning on December 23rd, I was traveling to Tamworth, NH to photograph Mt. Chocorua. My route took me through the town of Meredith, where is noticed a potential future photo opportunity, looking east over Meredith Bay, Lake Winnipesaukee. After checking the weather forecast for clear, or partly cloudy conditions, I decided on December 27th. 

My favorite time of day to photograph landscapes is early morning, just prior to, and after sunrise. I'm drawn to the rapidly changing colors in the morning sky and being a morning person certainly helps. It also allows guarantees me peace and solitude and not having to deal with crowds of people. Since sunrise as at 7:19 am, I planned my trip to arrive at 6:40 am. This gave me plenty of time to stake out my best camera position and decide which zoom lens would compliment the scene. After considering my 3 different zoom lenses, I chose my 18mm-55mm lens, which was the best option for my composition. 

For all you camera enthusiasts, I shoot with a Nikon D5600 in camera RAW. My lenses include: 10-20mm, 18-55mm and 70-300mm. My ISO is usually set at 100 to give me the best resolution and my camera set on Aperture Mode. Depending on the scene, I often choose a small aperture to give me greater detail throughout the scene, and allow the camera to choose the optimum shutter speed. I always shoot with a tripod and a manual shutter release. 

The first image was shot at 6:52 am. Notice the dark clouds, yellow sky and yellow reflection on the ice and water. Data: ISO 100, f25, 10 seconds and 32mm lens.

The image (with the sun cresting the horizon) was shot at 7:43. Notice the lighter, more pastel colors. The placement of the tiny island in the lower left quadrant meets the "Rule of Thirds", as adopted by most professional photographers. Data: ISO 100, f25, 1/50 sec. and 36mm lens. 

The photo of the lighthouse was unplanned. The light you see in the window panes is actually not caused by bulbs, but by the sun rising behind the lighthouse. Notice the tiny island is still visible, but the center of attention has now shifted to the top of the lighthouse. The yellow color also compliments the blue sky. Data: ISO 100, f25, 1/40 sec. and 27mm lens. 

The last photo was also unplanned. When returning to my car I noticed an interesting scene looking southeast through this gate. Notice how the pier leads your eye into the scene. The colors are now pastel yellows, giving an overall feeling of warmth and serenity. Data: ISO 100, f25, 1/40 sec and 48mm lens. 

I hope you enjoyed reading the background on this photo shoot. My next blog will be: "How to create more artistic photos". 

Ron Bowman, NH Photographer.  [email protected]  www.rbphotonh.com