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Here I am, just after sunrise at one of my favourite places on the planet, Penmon Point on the Island of Anglesey, just off the North Wales coast.
I try and visit Penmon for dawn photography sessions at least a couple of times a year, but even if I wasn't photographing I'd still come here just for the experience, it's that sort of place.
Anyhow, I'd been enjoying photographing the lighthouse for a while (see other photos in this gallery) when I spotted this yacht slowly motoring towards me on the glassy sea.
Things suddenly got tense at that point, as I had my camera in landscape mode, tripod mounted with 17-40mm lens fitted, mirror lock up activated, remote release plugged in, filters attached and a long shutter speed - not the most useful set up for a moving subject!
This is where knowing your kit helps. I changed the lens for a 100-400mm zoom, took the camera off the tripod, disabled the mirror lock-up, disconnected the self-timer, increased the ISO, enabled the AF and IS, opened up the aperture and managed to squeeze off one shot of the yacht at 1/1000 second shutter speed just as it passed under the rising sun. Phew!
The seagull was a happy accident that I didn't realise was in the photo until I downloaded it - I'll take a happy accident any day!
Filename - sun yacht 02.jpg
Camera - Canon 5D
Lens - 100-400mm zoom @ 370mm
Exposure - 1/1000sec @ f7.1, ISO400
Location - Penmon Point, Anglesey
This image - 533x800px JPEG
Conversion - ACR & PS-CS2
Comments - Fast shutter speed to freeze movement
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