The sun peeks under the fog deck at sunset to illuminate the sea. No HDR
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This picture is a runner-up in the Nature Conservancy photo contest! It is in the 2010 calendar for the month of November.
Have a look.
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0.8-second exposure @F8
2 ND soft grad 0.9s with Cokin z-pro filter holder
Canon 5D, Canon 17-40L @ 31
Gorillapod tripod to hold the camera on the cliff!
Point Lobos, at the north end of Big Sur just south of Carmel, California could keep a photographer busy for months or even years. It is a peninsula that has been sculptured by large Pacific waves over millions of years and the results are stunning. This is one of the western-most points of rock and is probably 50 feet tall at high tide. Sometimes waves wash over the entire rock. The most interesting motion was occurring just as the waves curl around the rock. I painted long lines (but not too long) with a 0.8 second exposure in order to show the dramatic motion.
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Tags: Point Lobos Monterey Big Sur California sunset wave sea beach rock landscape photography seascape photogaphy seascape seascapes OraclEX BRAVO carmel PhotoContest-TNC08 california landscape california seascape monterey peninsula point joe pebble beach pacific grove asilomar carmel by the sea vacation travel nature wallpaper gorillapod hdr —ObraMaestra—
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Large waves were rolling the cobblestones on the shoreline of Garrapata State Park, Big Sur, California. See the big version under "All sizes" for a better view. No HDR
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This picture has an honorable mention in the Nature Conservancy photo contest! I am a finalist too.
Have a look.
support.nature.org/site/PageServer?pagename=bestnature200...
Canon 5D, 17-40L @33
1/4 second exposure @F14 with LEE ND grad 0.9
Cokin z-pro filter holder
ISO 50
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop
Keen water shoes
A large storm cleared out right at sunset on this beach south of Monterey. That stirred up some large waves and good cloud formations. I waited for over a year for these conditions with a medium tide and finally it all came together. Low tide cuts off the waves and high tide does not show the interesting cobblestones on the beach. Once the conditions were right, it came down to capturing the waves at their most dramatic moment.
One moment (shown here) occurred as the waves struck the sea stacks. (Garrapata Surf #1 on my website) Another happened as the waves hit the cliffs behind. (This one) LOL, and then they hit me a few seconds later but I digress! I made sure to capture both moments. Here, a 1/4 second exposure was enough to show movement in the fast moving water, while retaining detail in the
slower moving water in the foreground. Too bad photographs cannot capture sound as an extra element. The cobblestones made quite an impressive sound as they rolled around in the large surf.
Tags: Big Sur soberanes Garrapata seascape landscape wave surf beach ocean sunset california carmel point Lobos landscape photography seascape photography seascapes sea QUALITY PhotoContest-TNC08 garrapata beach garrapata state park california landscape california seascape monterey peninsula Vision Group carmel by the sea vacation travel bratanesque wallpaper nature
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A November sunset provided a good angle of light.
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12-second exposure @F8
LEE soft ND Grad 0.9 (Angled at 10am-4pm)
Canon 5D
Canon 17-40L @34
ISO 50
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop
Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz is a great place to watch the sunset. This is one of the few remaining arches, as the other ones have been washed into the sea. New ones will replace them as the years go by. The tip of the Monterey Peninsula and the start of the Big Sur coast 40 miles away are shown in the middle of the arch.
In order to show this arch in the best light, I had to wait until November for the setting sun to be at the best angle to show the detail on the arch face. I also wanted some cloud cover, which becomes more common as the 7 month summer dry season comes to a close at this time of year. I used a long exposure to smooth the water, highlighting the arch and distant coastline. And I timed it for when the sand was at its most reflective state at low tide with the slow movement of the water painting lines in the sand.
There was an awesome sunset to the right of the frame, but I resisted the urge to point at the sun because the light was better on the seascape in this direction.
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Tags: santa cruz natural bridges natural bridges state park santa cruz county sunset california landscape photography seascape photography landscape seascape 5d 17-40L seascapes sea california landscape california seascape low tide sand sea arch arch Monterey big sur monterey peninsula natural bridges state park sandstone vacation travel nature wallpaper topf1000 PhotoContest-TNC10
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2009/06/03: This photo is a winner in the 2009 Nature's Best Ocean Views competition!
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The dim last light of a fading sun sets through a portal on California's Central Coast. No HDR. This photo was just selected as one of the top 10 images for the 2009 showcase portfolio for the North American Nature Photographer's Association!
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Canon 5D
Canon 24-105L @ 105
1/6-second exposure @F8
LEE soft ND grad 0.9 inverted so that the dark part is over the water.
ISO 50
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop
This sea arch opening in a cliff face at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur allows large waves to come through at high tide before a big storm. The waves often fill the entire portal to the top, and the portal becomes a giant water shotgun! The Tafoni formations in the rock are incredible and should be seen in person. The sun was only like this for about 30 seconds so I had to work fast. Fortunately, the sunlight was dimmed by high clouds and low fog but there was still enough light to reflect onto the rock face from the cliff behind the camera. Usually, it is not possible to get this shot because the sun is WAY too bright.
Backlighting off the cliff face behind the camera is crucial here; otherwise you have an overexposed portal with no detail on the rock face. Once the light was right, I waited for the water flow to become dramatic. A short exposure time allowed a little movement while retaining detail of the sea spray.
See my profile for a link to my website where I have limited edition prints and less expensive open edition prints.
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Tags: Pfeiffer Beach pfeiffer big sur seascape seascape photography landscape landscape photography ocean sunset carmel california california coast big sur coast seascapes sea sea arch julia pfeiffer pfeiffer state beach wave surf arch B-E-C vacation travel wallpaper natures best ocean views —ObraMaestra— topf1000 PhotoContest-TNC09 bestwishes-TNC09 tafoni
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The sky opened up for sunset on Nov. 26th after only the second rain since February 24th! No HDR.
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1/5th-second exposure @F22
LEE soft ND grad (100x150mm 0.9 + 0.6
Lee foundation kit filter holder with Lee 77mm adapter ring
Canon 5D
Canon 17-40L @40
Cokin z-pro filter holder
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop
This couple was fortunate enough to be witnessing an unbelievable sunset just after an early winter rainstorm was clearing away from the coast. As they walked along, the sky opened and the sun illuminated a low bank of fog and mist right behind them. They stopped and watched it all happen for about two minutes before the clouds returned and the went on their way. The depth in the cloud deck was impressive and the tide was the lowest of the month at sunset. Everything came together for just a moment on this evening.
The sky did end up being a nice red for the sunset but the light here (1/2 hour before sunset) provided better depth to the image.
See my profile for a link to my website where I have limited edition prints and less expensive open edition prints.
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Tags: pismo beach sunset seascape landscape california usa storm wave rain cloud reflection 5d 17-40l canon sea vacation travel beach BRAVO oceano wallpaper pismo
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