Land of the Rising Sun

One of my favorite things to do in Okinawa is watch the sunrise, because we have a view that surpasses anything I've been able to enjoy on any random morning from my own home. I thought you might enjoy an attempt to share in photographs some small measure of what it looks like.

One thing that is incredibly apparent is how well you can see a change in the position of sunrise from summer to winter. This first picture was taken in early September.













This second one was taken just yesterday, as the Colts were getting ready to spank the Ravens. The difference is even more dramatic than these two pictures show, not only because you get a greater sense of space when you see it with your own eyes but also because these two points are not at the extremes. I have pictures of the sunrise in December at a point further to the right (South) than this one, but aren't worth posting because they were grainy and poorly taken. I would likewise expect to see the sun move further North in June or July than it was in September.













Another side note about those first two photos: note the difference in the clouds! They really are representative photos of their seasons. In the summer almost every day was characterized by small, wispy clouds and a mostly sunny sky. Now we get a lot of grey, even if we are blessed with sixty-degree weather. That morning was a truly beautiful sunrise, the sun getting a rare chance to really shine out through a small slit at the horizon. It made for some absolutely stunning colors that my wimpy camera just can't capture.

This next series was an attempt to educate myself on differing exposure times and their effects in photography. I took the same image (this is, as you can no doubt tell, the same pre-Colts sunrise seen above) at six different exposures. I have my favorite of the six, but I am curious as to which one you like. If you have a moment, vote on yours to the right. If you have a few moments and this interests you, comment on why you picked the one you did after this post. As you evaluate them, I hope you enjoy a little taste of an Okinawan sunrise!

Picture A: 1/20 sec.


















Picture B: 1/50 sec.


















Picture C: 1/100 sec.


















Picture D: 1/320 sec.


















Picture E: 1/1000 sec.


















Picture F: 1/2000 sec.