I headed out for another sunrise chase with my Canon R5, but I decided to keep it interesting and bolt on an old Canon FL lens (a 35mm, and honestly it’s probably not as wide as I would’ve wanted). I was rushing, watching the sky “go off,” thinking it would be no big deal—then the clouds started throwing those subtle lines across the horizon and I knew it could get dramatic fast. It was warm enough for a short-sleeve at first (sorry, East Coast friends), but like always, the longer you wait for the sun, the colder it gets—so I eventually threw on a light jacket and got set. Gear-wise, the vintage lens works on the R5 and I still have full control, but it did take me a second to get focus dialed. I’m shooting at f/16, ISO 100, and I’m down around a 2-second shutter, riding exposure with my variable ND filter while watching the histogram like a hawk. I keep it way left so the scene stays a little dark and dramatic, and so I don’t blow anything out when the sun finally crests the hill. Once it starts happening, I just hammer the shutter for a DIY lapse—imperfect, but fun, and it’s the way I do it.