This is dedicated to my girlfriend Teresa..without whom, this photo wouldn't exist for so many reasons.

When I went to Brazil I knew opportunites for sunsets would be few as the sunsets behind the land there, not in the sea as it does here in Portugal. So I suggested that I'd like to have a go at doing a sunrise, as I'd never done one before (I'm not great at getting up in the morning).
The sun rises in Brazil at around 4.30am, so I kind of decided that it was too much effort, but it was Teresa who told me that we'd do it, who set the alarm and pushed me out of bed at 4.15am. Walking out of the bungalow and onto the beach I saw the sky and for a few minutes I was speechless...I've never seen anything so beautiful in all my life.

For a few minutes we just stood and watched nature go wild with the paintbox, and then I remembered that I had a camera and tripod with me, so I did one pass, hoping to get a pano, and then a couple of other single shots. After that the colours faded, but I doubt the memory of it ever will.

After, we sat on a coconut tree log, and watched the fishermen sail off over the horizon in their tiny rafts, then we went back to bed.

This is a panorama of 7 vertical shots.
3 sec | f8 | 3 stop ND grad filter

Taken on Praia de Lage, Rota Ecologica, Alagoas, Brazil