Is the horizon a must for a sunrise?

I believe the answer is yes, but I'd like to hear from the seasoned sunrise photographers.

Since November, most of my photography has been sunrise. I'm on a quest to capture as many sunrises possible as I truely enjoy getting out and about first thing. Not to forget, the colors a sunrise can display are sometimes out of this world I now realize that the vibrant / wild colors (when they are present - probably 10% of the time) do not last very long and are generally present before the sun appears at the horizon.

Is it possible to capture the array of colors a sunrise can offer by going in land with an obstructed horizon? For instance, being in the middle of a city with buildings and trees in between the camera and horizon.

I could get the wife to come out and set-up in a spot I know offers a brilliant view while I head into a tree / building infested spot. Then compare shots. But, getting her out that early is a task in it's own

If the answer is no, I'd love to see an example

The answer is: it depends.

It depends on how tall the obstruction is, how far it is, where you are in relation to it and the sunrise etc...

A couple of shots with obstructions (one sunrise, one sunset):

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/png' | Redirected to error image by ZENFOLIO PROTECTED

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/png' | Redirected to error image by ZENFOLIO PROTECTED

You don't even need to have much of the sunset left!

I'm no seasoned shooter, but these are my thoughts.

The main element you lose by having an obstructed horizon (versus the ocean/lake for instance), is the reflections. Reflections aren't a must for sunrise/sunset.. they do increase the beauty often though.

I find when i'm shooting a sunset, and there is a treed hill maybe a mile between us, that you have to wait a little longer..for the sun to actually drop below the horizon(which is below that hill), and get that "pop" of colors.

I'm quite alright with this.

Edit: Even with crap in the way, it can have a nice effect.

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/1tanker/4165110​111/

I think you generally need to include something in the frame that is not clouds or sky. This acts as a necessary point of reference that provides context to the scene. A crescent moon, maybe the tip of a steeple; anything recognizable will work.

Sometimes clouds are enough I think.

you can have any foreground with your sunrises.. The skies the limit..

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/35805441@N08/7​653226234/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/35805441@N08/7​767433872/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/35805441@N08/4​831220646/

JJD.Photography wrote in post #15577279
Is it possible to capture the array of colors a sunrise can offer by going in land with an obstructed horizon? For instance, being in the middle of a city with buildings and trees in between the camera and horizon.

...

If the answer is no, I'd love to see an example

I'm not sure what you're asking...do you mean anything that's not a coastal view or a view across a flat prairie? I shoot sunrises quite frequently, and they're rarely in locations where the horizon is visible. What really matters is the elevation and spread of the cloud layer. If it's high enough for the sun to shine beneath it, you'll get great colors as far as the clouds extend.

Per your request, here is an example: