Sunrise Metering — Sony a7RIII

24mm FE · beach landscape / seascape · RAW · tripod · ISO 100

Pre-sunrise / Blue hour

30–60 min before · low contrast, dim, even · no sun in frame

Meter

Multi (matrix)

Comp

ETTR: push histogram right, often +0.3 to +1 EV

Why

Low dynamic range — one frame holds it all. Cleaner shadows.

Sun near horizon, sky brightening · rising contrast

Meter

Highlight, or Multi

Comp

Multi: −0.7 to −1.3 EV to protect the sky

Why

Highest-DR window. Let foreground fall dark, lift in post (~5 stops safe).

Tools

Zebra ~100+ on sky · consider soft/med GND or start bracketing

Sun cresting, in/near frame · extreme dynamic range

Meter

Spot (Std) on bright sky just off the sun, or Highlight

Technique

Bracket ±2 EV (3–5 frames) and blend

Why

No single frame holds it. Sun disc clipping is normal & fine.

Sunstar

Stop down to f/11–f/16 with the 24mm

Sun up, warm side light · contrast easing

Meter

Multi back toward 0 EV; Highlight if sky still hot

Comp

Return to ETTR once DR narrows — usually within 15–20 min

Why

DR drops fast as sun climbs — single-frame Multi works again.

Live histogram — DISP until it shows. Push right, don't climb the right wall.

Zebra (100+) — moving overlay of what will clip as light changes.

Highlight mode — auto-ETTR for skies; some run it at fixed +1 to +2 EV (test first).

Bracket + RAW — when the sun's in frame, stop metering, bracket & blend. 14-stop RAW = latitude.

24mm care — clean front element + hood; wide lens into sun = flare that kills highlight contrast.

One rule across all phases: watch the right edge of the histogram. Blown highlights don't come back.