This isn't going well. The idea was that, as I eased my way back into full time photography, I'd share what I did, and how, and why, with anyone daft enough to read about it. However, although the cameras are packed and ready to roll, the weather is against me. So here we are again, back in the archives.
This is one of those shots that always attracts the inane and ignorant question "Did you Photoshop that?" And the answer is "No, or not in the sense you mean." You don't get good photos by wandering about, having a nice time, and clicking when you feel like it (or not often, anyway). You get good shots by watching the weather, being aware of things like tide tables, knowing your locations, carting piles of junk around to places far away when you'd rather be at home, taking risks, getting wet, and hurting yourself.
The smooth silky water here has been got with a low shutter speed, and some Neutral Density filters. Which means a tripod. And how do you use a tripod in a raging sea? By standing on a wet, slippery, rock, and hopping into the water like an arthritic penguin as the sea makes it possible. You get wet, you get cold, you don't know if it is going to work, and, if, like me, you think water should be warm and have bath salts in it, by scaring the living shit out of yourself.
Photography hurts. Get used to it.
On the other hand, you get to see some breathtaking scenery, while everyone else is safely in the bar - so it isn't all bad.
Done with my much loved Olympus E3, now passed on to Eva.
It's a stunning picture, Louis! I love your use of composition, texture (the water on the lhs, the sand and rock on the rhs), the colours... Fantastic! Are the colours entirely natural, or tweaked with a filter or digitally? I found your explanation of what you had to do to get such a shot really interesting - the weather-watching, jumping into icy water etc! Will be reading your blog regularly.
ReplyDeleteThanks Debbie - the colours are as presented by the camera (we get amazing light here) but I've made no effort to make them more accurate. I'm trying to create art rather than pictures of record.
ReplyDeleteWhat did Homer say..something about being hard and not worth doing. Well it's to our advantage that you can be bothered. Thanks Louis.
ReplyDeleteQuite right too not to fiddle with the colours when they look that fab! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks both. A favourite of mine...
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