Landscapes at sun rise

Photography at Sunrise

A lot of my friends marvel at my photos and think it is because of the camera gear I use. Indeed, I use a fairly advanced camera system, but not necessarily the best one. In fact the Canon 6D I use is an entry level camera that is quite old now. The technology it uses is no patch on the current crop of cameras and use a lens that is nearly 10 years old. I must also confess that there are much better photographers than me who use even older gear. 

Don't believe all the mega pixel numbers and the technology boasts of companies. There are multiple secrets to creating great photos, however, camera is not one of them. In fact this statement is true for any art form. If the gear was the secret to success, Mukesh Ambani should be the greatest cricketer of India and not the owner of the most successful IPL franchise. Let me let you into the secrets of creating some great landscape photos in this blog.

1. Get up early

This is probably the toughest task for many. The greatest photos are shot at the golden light early in the morning at sunrise. You can get some amazing pictures even in Chennai. Go to you terrace at sunrise and you can get some great scenes, it helps to have a bit of cloud, trees and birds to make interesting subjects. Go to the beach and you will get an even better picture.

Of course, as you move away from the city the sights get better. Go to a beach or mountain nearby and you will be rewarded with some great memories. The more remote the locations, you are likely to create more memorable photos. However, note that some of the most memorable locations also have bigger crowd and getting a good spot can be a challenge. For example, to shoot this image just outside the main gate of Dhikala, we needed to be the first at the gate. All jeeps will be lined up for going out for the safari and if you aren't in the front, you will find vehicles in the frame. This shot was in the beginning of March and the forest was still extremely cold.

 

In the mountains and forest, getting up early enough is a challenge due to the cold and restrictions. Your hands tend to be numb and that can result in shakes. Hiking with tripods is a pain, but then without a tripod, you can't get longer exposures that are necessary many a times.

2. Research your location and select your spot

You need an eye for detail to get great pictures and also no the location. Scout the place early and make sure where you need to be. At Kedarkantha, we trekked at 3AM to be on the summit at sunrise. I missed by 15 minutes. The picture as the sun peeks over the mountain top and when it's above it vastly different. My friend knew that at Corbett, this location will make a great photo and we dutifully reached before the fog lifted and for sure, I got a memorable picture.

3. Keep looking out for great scenes

While being at the right place and right time is important, you could miss a great picture by a whisker. The boat, if it's not in the right place makes a sloppy photo. 

A boatman coming to ferry us across the Jia Bhoreli river in Assam

At another moment, a picture of a raised camera gives a whole new meaning to a photo. Suddenly the bird is no longer the object of your image.

Shooters of a different kind

And then you will want the boat, the boatman and the scene to be all perfectly positioned.

The lone boatman at Jia Bhoreli

The gear in all this is unimportant; if you know how to use a camera, a simple camera will enable you to shoot a great picture. So go ahead, plan your next adventure, take whatever camera you have, but be present at the right place and right time to shoot a great photograph.

Krishnan Naganathan

I am an explorer, a traveller and trekker. I take pride in documenting my experience through photographs. You can join me on my treks to some of the most spectacular locations in India.

The photos posted here are low-resolution versions and I would be glad to supply high-resolution images for a small fee. These photos are also available as canvas print in custom sizes for order.