Sunrise Photo Contest Winner!

Last week I did something for the first time. I created a photo contest through Fine Art America. I decided for my first one I would do something simple like "Sunrises." Most people photograph them and I figured it would get a lot of participants. I was right. There were over 800 entries and there could only be one first place winner and that was Peter Mooyman, for his stunning image "Sunrise on the Lake." This contest was just for fun. There were no prizes awarded, but I thought it would be nice to interview the winner and give them some well-deserved exposure. Following are the questions I asked Peter and his response to them. Please Note: The voting was done by numerous members and non-members of Fine Art America.

• What do you particularly like about this photo? What I like about this shot is that I captured a moment that only lasted about 5 seconds. The sun hitting the water, the mist and the mountain in the background all came together at this moment.
•  What was hard about creating this photo? Being there at the right time to catch the sunrise and the mist rising off the water.
• What was the key attribute that allowed you to create this photo?  That would have to be patience. I visited this location many times before I could get the right elements together for this shot.
• What photographic equipment did you use to create this photo? I used a Panasonic Lumix GX1 with its standard 14-42mm lens, and I had the help of a tripod.
• What kind of tools did you use for post processing? I used Picasa to make minor adjustments to the lighting, saturation and contrast.
•  Is there anything else you would like to share about this photo or your photography in general? Future goals etc. This is my favorite type of photo to take - one that involves a natural scene where the light is constantly changing, and in this case the mist rising off the water didn't last long, so I had to catch it at the right moment where it was highlighting the sunlight hitting the water. I also love images involving bodies of water, because of the endless possibilities of how the water reflects light.

There were many excellent images submitted for this photo contest. What I love about Peter's winning photo is the beautiful color tones and the moodiness created by the light and the fog. To view more of the winning entries visit Contest-Sunrises. Would you like to congratulate Peter or ask him a question? Please feel free to add it in the comments section below. Congratulations Peter! ~Sherri Meyer