Sanford Morse
December 2025 - Mt Fuji Sunrise
Original
About the Image(s)
An iconic photo of Japan's Mt. Fuji at sunrise, but not so easy. Up at 4:30 am, hope for no overcast, find a suitable viewpoint, and who knew Japan could be so cold? Sony A1, 24-70mm, at 70mm, 1/3, f8, ISO 500. Lightroom and Luminar 4 to bring out the colors.
3 comments posted
I like the way that the dark and light reflections in the foreground make for an inverted "V" as this draws me into the image. and my eye goes directly to Mt. Fuji. I do find the two white squares on the right a distraction and a suggestion would be to remove the white squares they are on as my eye keeps going over there. The final image is a wonderful improvement over the original. Posted: 12/13/2025 15:17:31
Kudos for being up at 4:30am. Very nice composition with Mt Fuji peering through the clouds in the V of the hills, plus the added interest of the red gate. I agree with Henriette about the two white squares, they do snag the eye and could easily be cropped or cloned out. I wonder whether a harder crop would remove the bright foreground water and make Mt Fuji the star of the show? Posted: 12/16/2025 12:15:52
Sanford,
This is a beautifully serene early morning scene. The gentle ripples on the water suggest there was a tiny breeze during your exposure. Had you considered using a long exposure to smooth out the water's surface? That technique could enhance the tranquil mood of the image even further.
I believe the composition could be strengthened with a 16x9 crop. Placing the mountain at the intersection of the top and left thirds, and positioning the red Japanese structure at the bottom right third, creates a more dynamic and balanced layout. This crop also situates all the water in the bottom third of the frame, which works well since Mt. Fuji's reflection isn't prominent, so excluding it doesn't detract from the image. Additionally, this adjustment removes the two white boxes on the right side, resulting in a cleaner composition. I've included my suggested crop for your consideration.
Posted: 12/18/2025 21:05:33
This is a beautifully serene early morning scene. The gentle ripples on the water suggest there was a tiny breeze during your exposure. Had you considered using a long exposure to smooth out the water's surface? That technique could enhance the tranquil mood of the image even further.
I believe the composition could be strengthened with a 16x9 crop. Placing the mountain at the intersection of the top and left thirds, and positioning the red Japanese structure at the bottom right third, creates a more dynamic and balanced layout. This crop also situates all the water in the bottom third of the frame, which works well since Mt. Fuji's reflection isn't prominent, so excluding it doesn't detract from the image. Additionally, this adjustment removes the two white boxes on the right side, resulting in a cleaner composition. I've included my suggested crop for your consideration.
Posted: 12/18/2025 21:05:33