Sunrise over Buffalo Main LightLight and Colors on the Other Side On my photographic expeditions, I am learning to look the other way more and more. When watching a sunset, turn around and look east. Yes, the intensity is much stronger looking west but the more subtle colors in the east have their beauty. And it is that opposite direction that has the biggest potential for a surprise. Sometimes, nothing happens there at all, other times, just very small hints of color show up, and other times, the show can be wild. It also provides for whole different looks of your old subjects and photographs that are more unique, more surprising too.

The same goes for a sunrise. While the eastern sky can be miraculous leading into the sunrise itself, going from first glimpses of light to a wild show of color that dissipates and then the pinpoint sun pieces the twilight with its sharp rays. But again, turn around at all stages. Sometimes, that is where the surprise show is.

That is what I was lucky enough to enjoy and photograph this morning. I was treated to a Morning Fire over Buffalo, as well as more subtle light and color show behind the lighthouse to the west. I really enjoyed the contrast between the wild scene in one direction and the more peaceful action in the other. To further add to the dreamy quiet look I went with a 10-stop neutral density filter and captured this 2-minute exposure, giving the choppy waters of Lake Erie an almost frozen look and allowing the clouds to float and blur up above. Unlike the contrasty scenario towards the sun, there were no exposure challenges shooting west.

Have fun looking the wrong way!

Equipment used: Nikon D600 (replaced by Nikon D610), Nikon 24-85mm Nikkor Lens, Kenko 77mm 10-stop ND Filter, Manfrotto tripod (055MF3; replaced by 055CXPRO3 with the convenient Q90 column) and Manfrotto Ball Head (496RC2), Think Tank Speed Demon Waist Pack, Petzl Zipka Plus 2 Headlamp (always in the bag just in case), Jackery Bar 5600mAh (usually on hand to keep the smart phone going), SanDisk Extreme 32GB SD Cards, Nikon Capture NX2.

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