Sunrise at Samoset

A vibrant sunrise paints the sky with fiery oranges and deep blues, casting a warm glow over a serene landscape. Silhouetted trees dot the rolling hills of a golf course, with winding paths leading to distant greens. The sun dips below the horizon, reflecting its golden light across a calm body of water. A wooden fence in the foreground adds rustic charm, enhancing the tranquil and picturesque scene.
The sun rises over the golf course at Samoset Resort — J. Matthew Buchanan

This is one of the first sunrises I ever photographed. Sunsets have always been a favorite subject of mine, but I never really had the chance to capture a sunrise. A trip to Maine in 2013 changed all of that. We travelled from Boston up into Maine and, once in Rockport, stayed at a golf resort even though we weren't golfing. Our room had an amazing view over Penobscot Bay in the Gulf of Maine. I captured this photo from the tiny balcony off of that room, so there was no pre-sunrise travel involved. I just set everything the night before, then woke up, rolled out of bed, went to the balcony, composed, and started shooting.

The trickiest part of the whole thing was making sure I didn't wake my wife and kids in the process.

This photo, and the experience behind it, remains one of my all time favorite sunrises. I learned that day, and remember to this day, there really is nothing like watching a sunrise over the eastern shore. Truly breathtaking, and this photograph nearly captures that feeling.

Technical Notes

I captured this photo using my old 5D Mark II dSLR, which I absolutely loved. I used the EF 16-35mm f/2.8L lens, and took this at the narrowest end of that range. Looking back on the photos from that morning reminded me that my skillset then was really just beginning to develop — I apparently didn't capture a single photo at the wider end of the range of focal lengths for that lens. And I think I remember the view supporting a wider angle. Damn! But, I started the morning with the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens, shooting at its narrowest focal length. What was I thinking? I'm glad I quickly switched to the wider lens of course, but I wish I would have used its full range. Still happy with this one, though.

Metadata

EXIF & IPTC
Published
June 2, 2026
Identifier
20130621A-Sunrise-at-Samoset-Resort-010
Camera Make
Canon
Camera
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Lens
EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM
Focal Length
35mm
Aperture
f/13
Shutter Speed
1/15s
ISO
ISO 100
Captured
June 21, 2013, 5:00 AM
Exposure Program
Shutter speed priority AE
Metering Mode
Multi-segment
Flash
Off, Did not fire
White Balance
Manual
Exposure Compensation
-1/3
Creator
J. Matthew Buchanan
Sublocation
Samoset Resort
City
Rockport
State
Maine
Country
United States of America
Copyright
Copyright 2026 J. Matthew Buchanan
Rights Usage Terms
All rights reserved
Copyright URL
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