Easter Sunrises on Topsail Island

Photographing any sunrise is an incredible opportunity; but to witness such beautiful coastal scenery, especially during an Easter Sunrise Service, is downright magical. We are blessed, here on the coast of North Carolina, to be able to attend Easter services right on the beach!

Below you’ll find the camera & lens I used, along with the capture time and settings for each image. 

Easter Sunrise (April 1st, 2018):

For this first image set, I used a Canon 6D and my daily go-to lens, the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 version III. You will see many posts throughout this website that mention how deep my love for this lens runs.

As my workhorse lens, I have probably used it more than any other and am most comfortable with. Since it is a wide-angle zoom lens for a full frame camera, it is ideal for landscape and real estate photography.

Easter Sunrise (April 16th, 2017):

On Easter morning in 2017, it seemed so perfect to be able to capture what I like to call the “Shades of Sunrise” – which I must say was truly one of the most remarkable sunrises that I’ve watched over the Atlantic Ocean.

In this image set, I used a Canon 6D and the first version of the Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens. This isn’t even close to one of my favorite lenses, but in true Canon fashion, the glass still makes great images. 

If you’re looking to buy a full frame DSLR, I typically recommend buying the body only and a lens that will fit your style over using a lens that comes with the camera. Also, Canon now makes a 6D Mark II that I’ve heard amazing things about, but I own the first version of the 6D camera.

Every sunrise is unique, and I am genuinely appreciative of the opportunities I’ve had in photographing them!