Framing the Wicklow Sunrise

Let's talk about "framing." In smartphone photography, we often obsess over the rule of thirds or leading lines, but sometimes the landscape gives you a literal frame to work with.

I took this shot at the Black Castle ruins in Wicklow. The contrast here is the real enemy—you have a blazing bright sun coming over the horizon and a pitch-black stone wall in the foreground.

Shooting Tip: When you're using your Pixel (or any phone) in a high-contrast scenario like this, tap to focus on the brightest part of the image (the sun). This prevents the sky from blowing out into pure white.

The Edit: Once I got this into Snapseed, the rock frame was basically a silhouette. I wanted a hint of texture, but not too much. I used the 'Selective' tool to grab just the stone areas and bumped the 'Structure' and 'Brightness' up by about +10. It keeps the mystery of the ruin while showing just enough detail to prove it's rock and not just a black void.

It’s a cracking spot for a thermos flask of coffee and a sunrise if you don't mind the cold breeze coming off the Irish Sea!