Sunrise and Sunsets.

[Waddizzle]

This is a sunrise, actually 3 minutes before the sunrise. 

EOS 6D, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM

16mm

1/4000

f/2.8

ISO 100

This is an HDR image made from five shots. 

Here is the actual moment of first light, captured three minutes later in a sequence of 5 HDR shots, at 35mm.

 The pre-dawn sky was a quickly changing kaleidoscope of color.  It took me 12 minutes to arrive.  The actual sunrise was anti-climatic.

[fatcat]

thanks for the update. Agreed, not too many are going to remember those details 2 mo later....unless you write everything down in a notebook, and who does that anymore? Still think you should enter in a photo contest....the shot is mesmerizing

[Tronhard]

This one is a sunset taken on the island open sanctuary of Tiri Tiri Matangi.  It is a sanctuary for some of NZ and the world's rarest flora and fauna.  For example we have Takahe of which there are perhaps only 250 left,.  Once converted to farmland, volunteers planted over 250,000 native trees and shrubs to restore the island to its natural state.   Here is a link to information on the sanctuary:

Link to the TiriTiri Supporters' Page

While a sanctuary, it is open for visitors who need to follow strict protocols to avoid bringing on pests - like rats or mice or even foreign seeds.   I am one of the supporters and volunteers who support the sanctuary and can stay at a bunkhouse on the island along with scientists and academics studying the behaviour of native wildlife and monitoring recovery programs. 

This photo was taken looking from the visitors' centre back towards the mainland.

Details: taken hand-held with EOS M, EF-M 10-22mm at 22mm, f13, 1/80sec, ISO 200

[fatcat]

thats even fun to say Tiri Tiri Mantigi.  Very beautiful and definitely worth saving and restoring.

I hope the population  gets stronger for the birds.

From what I understand, many sea birds are dying from ingesting plastic.  I try NOT to buy plastic or use styrofoam.  Its tough to avoid in some cases, but many can ve avoided.

Your photos are lovely, keep sharing and educating us all.

nice place to stay in the bunkhouse!

[Waddizzle]

Sometimes the best sunrise shots are with your back to the sun.

Always carry your camera.  You never know what you will see.

EOS 6D Mark II ,EF 16-35mm F/2.8L II USM : 1/400, f/5.6, ISO 1000, @16mm

[Tronhard]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

Sometimes the best sunrise shots are with your back to the sun.

Always carry your camera.  You never know what you will see.

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Lovely shot!   And I totally agree about carrying your camera.

In response to Fatcat's comments.  First of all thank you for your response and sadly it is true that many seabird populations are plummeting because of ocean plastics.   We have seen many such birds dead on the shore, and often one can see the contents of what they ate as the body decomposes - in many cases they were full of plastic.  Sadly nesting birds are feeding the stuff to their chicks, confused by the colours into thinking they are getting crustacians or some such.  The chick fill up with the stuff and it stops their growth. Many die a long and painful death, never having been able to take to the wing.

We use detergent bottles made of sugar by-product which are totally biodegradable, I wish more containers were made of alternative materials like that.  Sadly there is so much out there that even if we stopped now the damage would continue for many decades.

We are not immune from this.  The plastic breaks up into micro-particles that enter the lower end of the food chain and are consumed and concentrated as they go up to the chain.  Thus the apex predators (such as us) ingest quite significant amounts of plastic that often carry pollutants that have adhered to the micro pieces.   A couple of university studies have found that many tea bags contain plastics that leach into the tea, giving up to a credit-card sized dose in a week.  Much of that is eliminated, but some of it remains in our bodies.

[fatcat]

thank you for your thoughtful message.  Seeing the birds on hte beach is hearbreaking.

The lastest article of Audobon predicts over 380 species will die from HUMAN CAUSE (plastics, oil production, fracking, leading to climate chage)  The warming oceans make it difficult for them to find food.  Over 180 Grey whales washed ashore on their Pacific Migration with up to 90 lbs of plastic in their stomachs.  The warm blobs of water causing jellyfish to flourish and eat all the plankton etc.  Not to mention the harvesting of Krill (for Krill oil supplements) has killed off 75% of the penguins in Anarcticca (where they harvest off the sea ice, also contributing to the ice melting)

I dont have the answer, but I stopped driving a car 10 yrs ago.  I can only do my part, and not purchase plastics, and complain to companies that dont think twice about using it indiscriminatly.  INCLUDING FARMERS and milk containers.

I tired to avoid plastic for 24 hrs and couldnt do it.  Its really terrible what we are doing to our planet out of selfish greed.  We ALL need to do our part in this crisis.  Its not our grandchildrens problem, its OURS.....EVERY LIVING SOUL.s responsibility to make change, and not just talk about it or complain when they can measure plastic particles in rain.  its all very sad and wastful to  me, but its all driven by greed.  And the oil companies.

[Tronhard]

To be fair, a lot of it (especially from the consumer end) was driven by ignorance.   Consumers just didn't know and now plastics have become such a huge part of our lived that it is hard to wean ourselves off it.   There ARE alternatives, but it needs cooperation from the consumer, manufacturer and governmental bodies.   That, as it is in climate change, is lacking so far.

We have an eletric car and love it.  Over here in NZ 87% of our electricity is sourced renewably, (wind, solar and geothermal) so it's a reasonably good option.  I also take transit, not just because of the environment, but because I am retired I get to travel for free and it saves having to look for a car park!

NZ is phasing out plastic bags and with a clean, green image to uphold the government is pushing to clean up the beaches, and waterways.

[CornLips44]

I'm not sure if I should be posting just to say this... I had to tell everyone that all of these pictures are absolutely breathtaking. Thank you so much for sharing them.

[fatcat]

Im not good at finding the extif info, so Ill just post these and hope they are acceptable

[Tronhard]

Hi Fatcat

Great shots, particularly attracted to the second one!