Finding the “Magic Hour”
Reviewing some photos from a trip out west in 2006, I ran across these that were taken while I was at a conference in Phoenix. I was hoping, while there, for an opportunity to take some photos during that “magic hour” — right after after sunrise. I had scouted a location in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix and using Google Earth’s 3D view, I was able to find the right spot to have the light lines toward what I thought were some good mountain peaks. I also found out why landscape photographers like to retire early in the evening. I had to arise at 4 AM, travel about and hour and half to get to the dirt road, then 30 minutes traveling on an unfamiliar dirt road in the dark to the identified site 30 minutes before sunrise (and stopping en route for coffee!).
I was amazed at just how short the duration of the “good” light lasted just before and shortly after sunrise. I had to move fast, setting up the tripod in several different locations to follow the light on the peaks in the area. I was also surprised at how sharp the pictures came out with my Rebel XT 18-55mm kit lens (with a little help from Lightroom). The Rebel XT has since been “retired” to No. 2 camera by my acquisition last year of the Canon 5D MkII, though I use the XT frequently to take advantage of its cropping factor on long lenses. Hopefully, I’ll return to these mountains when I can stay longer.
Below is the first image I took, just as the sun was peeking over the mountains to the east. To me, the photo below conveys the essence of the boundary between dark and light, as well as the coolness of the morning air.
Superstition Mountains and Cacti
As the sun climbed above the peaks, I had to move the camera position to the north and west to capture the light on the much redder stone, as well as that really cool organ pipe cactus standing in the foreground.
Superstition Mountains Sunrise
As you can see from the photos that follow, the “magic hour” light is very fleeting, with the last photo being in very direct and somewhat harsher front light from the blazing sun over my shoulder. After that photo, I was done for the day.
Superstition Mountains Just After Sunrise
Superstition Mountain Sunrise 30 Minutes Later
