Sunset

Sunrise at Punggol

I love sunrises and sunsets. Maybe it is the anticipation of not knowing what to expect. For a photographer hoping to capture a sunrise or sunset, there is about a 5 minute window between darkness and the sun rising or when the sun sets beyond the horizon. 

You never really know what to expect. Some days, you are greeted with a wonderful hue which splashes the sky with hues of orange and red. It almost feels like the sky is speaking to you through a painting in the sky. On other days, the sun rises or sets uneventfully like someone turned on or turned off the lights.

Last weekend, I took my trusty range finder camera to Upper Peirce Reservoir to capture the sunset. It seemed like an uneventful sunset which was going to go out with a whimper. The photograph below says it all.

Not a bad reflection

As I was about to lament my wasted effort, the sky seemed to have heard my thoughts and injected a tinge of red hue which tickled my fancy.

That's better !

Before long, the red hue turned into a spotlight and casted an orange tint on a patch of adjacent clouds.

As red as Rudolf's nose?

This drama lasted barely a couple of minutes and before long, it was "lights out".

As I was taking the photographs, I took a couple of shots with my iPhone and the results amazed me. See it for yourself. 

Taken with my iPhone 5

My trusty range finder camera

The photograph taken with my iPhone 5 is crispier and appears to have more depth. There is a reason for this. I had the HDR (High Dynamic Range) option turned on. HDR is particularly helpful when  the photograph has a broad range of lighting exposures. From what I understand, the camera captures several images at different aperture settings. It selects portions of the photograph which is correctly exposed and combines the results into one photograph. This gives the photograph great depth. To see samples of HDR photos, just type "HDR Photo" in google and check out the awesome images. If overdone, the photos look "overcooked" but if done well, the photos look almost 3D. I am not a big fan of HDR as I am a purist. I don't even like filters. Admittedly, I do tweak my photographs slightly with a photo editing software, akin to "light make-up".

 

Dawn

Dawn is a special time of day for me. It holds the promise of what the day will bring...like a present waiting to be opened.
I have always been a morning person. When I was still schooling, I would arrange mini adventures with my cousins and neighbours at the break of dawn. I got a big kick out of waking at 5:00 am and going fishing, jogging, cycling or simply kicking a soccer ball in a nearby school field. The smell of the morning fresh air was enough of a draw of get me out of bed.
These days, my morning adventures are a little more sedantry and mostly confined to photography..... specifically photographs of sunrise.
Taking photographs at sunrise is an interesting experience. You have to get ready before the sun pops up from the horizon and when it does, you only get about 5 minutes to capture the magic. After that, the magic is gone.

These are some of my favourite photos. One was taken at Seletar Reservoir and the other was taken at Sembawang Park. Enjoy :)

Series 1 : Seletar Reservoir

Seletar Reservoir


This photograph was taken just before dawn broke. I love the serenity in the air. I can almost smell the fresh air when I look at this photograph.


The Light Up








The sky starts to light up in an ominous manner.

The sun breaks through





After the sun broke through, I manage to catch this photograph. I was rather pleased with the gentle texture of the tree line.

A Ray of Hope

 



Moments later, the rays of the sun beamed across the horizon.









Series 2 : Sembawang Park


This guy is not fishing :)

While I was admiring the sunrise, this guy stepped into the water. I must say that the picture turned out better than I expected....I love the ripples that formed around his feet.

Sunrise !

 




As the sun rises, it lines the sky with an orange tint and outline.