Wide angle into the sun

[hcp474]

Went for a wander this morning and this was about the best of the bunch, shot at 10mm on a 550D with a ND8 filter. The fog was slowly clearing, so the atmosphere was probably not ideal for this one.

I'm just wondering if a heavier filter would be better in such situations (I only have the 8 currently). What methods are successful for into the sun shots like this? I cant remember if i've tweaked the RAW, if I have then it will only be for WB and exposure.

[Donald]

David

I was out early this morning in the frost and the fog. Have just got DxO Optics running in the background processign as i type this.

I would have like to have seen this shot taken about 10 minutes earlier, before the sun came over the top of the trees in the background. I think your idea is great.

[elfbob]

David,

Donald must have read my mind ; if you can visualize the earth's atmosphere as a "filter" to the sun's illumination, you get a wondrous assortment of early morning hues depending on the sun's incident angle to the earth's atmospheric regions before it emerges above the horizon; if you're also fortunate to have some clouds above the horizon to soften, dodge, burn or accentuate its effects on your etheral backdrop it could make your "tree" a wonder to behold, BUT once the sun gets above the horizon you get direct, relatively "un filtered" illumination that can be somewhat harsh as a backdrop if the camera lens is pointed directly at it or at a high incident angle to it; if you can establish a shooting angle 90 degrees to the early sun, you might use its rays to silhouette a "plain jane" meadow with growth of varying heights & be able to image it as something whimsical & special compared to what it will later appear as with more direct unflattering illumination.