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Alaska Winter Sunrise
by Tom Slater
(North Pole, Alaska)
Winter Wonderland
I shot this with a Sony A350 with a wide angle lens.
This was my first stab at photographing a sunrise. I was trying to get a winter wonderland effect.
(for convenience links below open in new windows) This one is from the North Pole apparently – impressive stuff!
Of course it's not the real North Pole, but we’re happy to accept that this represents a great Alaskan scenic shot.
Tom states that he was trying to get a winter wonderland look to this photo.
When you have an aim for a photo in mind it helps to think for a few moments on what should be included in that shot.
- Sporting scene? Some athletes in full flight would fit the bill.
- Alpine scenery? Mountains softened by pine trees sounds about right.
- Winter wonderland – well, take a look at Tom's shot above and you've got the elements all there.
There is more to great photography than just incorporating the right elements though.
Composition should be one of the first assessments of a scene. The rule of thirds makes a good starting point for composition.
On this aspect Tom's photo falls down a bit. There's no real clear focal point. And the bright sun is just a bit too far to the right of the frame.
I'm sure I know what Tom was thinking here though – include some foreground interest.
In this sort of scenic photography including foreground interest really adds depth. However – apply with caution!
A little something in the foreground really works well. Just a hint. Just enough to give the viewer a feel for depth, but not so much that they actually spend time looking at it.
Tom (I'm guessing) wanted to include the snow covered branch on the left for this very purpose. It's just that it takes up almost half the frame.
I think a much stronger shot would have been to move the sun to the middle more, and have a lot less of the snowy branch.
I hope this helps Tom (and of course other visitors!), and thanks for submitting.
Ed.Discover the secrets of professional photographers with these easy to learn photography tips
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