Usually I don't post two similar views in a row on Flickr, but I think I like this version of Pololu Valley a little better. The light is softer and the water movement and wider composition brings back the memory a little better. So I thought I'd show it here. Some people may like the stormier view of the last one. Feel free to say so! No HDR.
Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!
See the 1200 pixel version!
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/487170793...
---------------------------------------------------------
Settings etc.:
---------------------------------------------------------
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 17-40L @27
0.4-second exposure @F10
LEE soft ND grad (100x150mm - 4x6in) 0.9 + 0.9
Lee foundation kit filter holder with Lee 77mm adapter ring
No polarizer.
ISO 100
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop
Small Slik Sprint mini II tripod
Manfrotto pistol-grip ball head
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Story
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Rule #1. When you return from a trip, try to get a good idea of which version of a scene you like the most before posting! I usually try to get 4-8 good shots with a particular composition before moving on. Each wave will be different, and the light can change in just a few seconds. I have 8 versions of this scene and they actually look quite different.
When I say "good versions", I mean that I will take a shot, look at it and delete it on the spot if I don't like it. I think I took about 12 shots at this exact location and kept 8 for review later. Now I like about 3 of them. Actually, the last one looks better in the back of my camera than it did after I finished processing it. I even repeatedly looked at the back of the camera to try to get it to look the same on my Photoshop screen!
This one looks exactly like the back of the camera. That is good enough for me! I kept the default settings for the camera's LCD screen just so you know. Also, after the shot, I often look at the photo and compare it to the scene in front of me, just to get an idea of how well it was captured. Of course, the real scene usually looks better, but not always. A dull scene may look more contrasty and interesting in the back of the camera than to your every own eyes seeing it for real. After all, the camera can not capture the same dynamic range, so it will look more contrasty in the camera.
(Repeated from the previous upload.)
The Big Island has a wide variety of climate zones and geological regions. Lava flows create lots of new land and those areas are rough and new. Areas like this valley are on the older side where the volcanos are extinct and the land is being sculpted into fantastic forms. The almost 14,000-foot (4200m) Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea volcanoes create rain forest upwind and barren deserts downwind. And they can exist just 4 miles apart! The beaches vary from black sand, to white, golden, red and even green. It is a photographer's paradise, but it is big and you have to do your research to find the best spots.
To get here, you must get up well before sunrise (it is not a sunset beach), drive to the tourist pullout and hike down a 400-foot trail in the dark to get here in time for sunrise. It is not a difficult hike but it is slippery and one mistake and your day is ruined! Also, this is a great place to spend the day, far away from civilization.
The map shows the exact location.
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Other stuff
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My pictures are featured on the front page of the newly redesigned
The state Gov. of California website. Have a look! It is Flash with my pics cut into layers for a 3-d slideshow. If you are into building apps, the State has opened up lots of data to the public, so check it out!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Resources:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Google Earth
earth.google.com/
Simply the best way to scout out locations that there is. You can see sun angles and pre-visualize light under lots of different conditions. Sometimes you can actually pre-compose your shots! This has saved me many thousands of vertical feet of climbing by avoiding spots with blocked views etc.
Satellite imagery (choose 'National' for a local US region or use your fave website)
www.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/?wfo=mtr
Tide charting and preditions: (chose your area in US, other countries have similar websites)
tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=235
Wave Heights (I choose 'North Pacific from Global')
polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/main_int.html
Or Here:
www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/RP1bw.gif
Photos of every inch of the California coastline from a small plane. Excellent for close in detailed views.
www.californiacoastline.org/
.
.
Tags: landscape seascape Big Island hawaii pololu valley kohala lava black sand beach trees sky clouds waves sea ocean light sand hawi north shore USA rock wave sunrise PhotoContest-TNC11 united states
© All Rights Reserved
The fog settled on the bridge deck just before sunrise! No HDR. See my Flickr profile profile page (link below) for my blog entry on the events of the morning and how I did this. I have more Hawaii photos but I'll show them later.
Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!
See the 1200 pixel version!
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/504427056...
---------------------------------------------------------
Settings etc.:
---------------------------------------------------------
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 17-40L @19
2-minute exposure @F8
LEE soft ND grad (100x150mm - 4x6in) 0.9
Lee foundation kit filter holder with Lee 77mm adapter ring
No polarizer.
ISO 50
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop
Small Slik Sprint mini II tripod
Manfrotto 322RC2 pistol-grip ball head
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Story
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
September and October are great months for capturing low fog at the Golden Gate. The inversion is weaker but still there and the fog is often not as deep. So I got up at 2 hours before sunrise, checked the weather and headed out. You need to get here before sunrise to capture the best light. As I left the hillside after sunrise, a bunch of other photographer were setting up their tripods but the light was already harsh and bright because the high clouds were thin. Too bad I was alone to see this!
I have lots more information about this sunrise on my blog including some extra pictures, so stop on by and have a look! See the link above to go to my Flickr profile and then my Blog.
The map shows the exact location.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Other stuff
---------------------------------------------------------------------
My pictures are featured on the front page of the newly redesigned
The state Gov. of California website. Have a look! It is Flash with my pics cut into layers for a 3-d slideshow. If you are into building apps, the State has opened up lots of data to the public, so check it out!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Resources:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Google Earth
earth.google.com/
Simply the best way to scout out locations that there is. You can see sun angles and pre-visualize light under lots of different conditions. Sometimes you can actually pre-compose your shots! This has saved me many thousands of vertical feet of climbing by avoiding spots with blocked views etc.
Satellite imagery (choose 'National' for a local US region or use your fave website)
www.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/?wfo=mtr
Tide charting and preditions: (chose your area in US, other countries have similar websites)
tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=235
Wave Heights (I choose 'North Pacific from Global')
polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/main_int.html
Or Here:
www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/RP1bw.gif
Photos of every inch of the California coastline from a small plane. Excellent for close in detailed views.
www.californiacoastline.org/
.
.
Tags: landscape seascape fog golden gate bridge rock red san francisco bay bridge skyline buildings downtown marin county sky cloud sunrise art fine art united states usa california
© All Rights Reserved
Greetings Stumblers! Ahalanui, on the Puna coast of the Big Island of Hawaii is home to an incredible volcanically heated hot pool with water that is nearly body temperature. It also has some excellent coastal scenery and large breaking waves. Sunrise is the best time to see the drama at its best! No HDR.
Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!
See the 1200 pixel version!
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/488896374...
---------------------------------------------------------
Settings etc.:
---------------------------------------------------------
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 17-40L @25
1/6-second exposure @F10
LEE soft ND grad (100x150mm - 4x6in) 0.9 + 0.9
Lee foundation kit filter holder with Lee 77mm adapter ring
No polarizer.
ISO 100
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop
Small Slik Sprint mini II tripod
Manfrotto 322RC2 pistol-grip ball head
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Story
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It seemed like it would be an easy sunrise to shoot. Merely go around the hot pool, over the top of the rock wall blocking the ocean, and around to the cliffs and lava pools. However, the rocks are extremely slippery and you don't expect that when all of the lava is just a few decades old at most and very sharp. So, you walk along experiencing a reliable grippy surface and suddenly it is as slippery as ice! So if you go here, especially in the dark before sunrise, be careful!
The problem gets worse because I wanted to get close to the little reflecting pools in the foreground, but it was difficult to even move, let alone run from these unobstructed waves which pound this spot every 20 seconds or so.
The weather was warm and about as perfect as it can get, and this can lull you into a false sense of security. I mean, how can there be danger in such a paradise? Well, with no coral reef in front of many Hawaian beaches, it seems like every 4th wave is a sleeper wave, so be careful photographing any non-reef beach. Seriously!
Anyway, even if you do not make it to the beach during the day (the hot-pool lifeguard has a bullhorn to keep people away from the waves), definitely visit this hot pool. It has an opening for the 78 degree (28c) ocean water to mix with the 94 degree (34c) hot pool water. Suddenly, the oean water feels as cold as California! The breeze off the ocean is cool enough so that you can relax in the hot water without getting too hot. It is perfect!
Check it out.
www.hawaiiweb.com/hawaii/html/beaches/ahalanui_park.html
The map shows the exact location.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Other stuff
---------------------------------------------------------------------
My pictures are featured on the front page of the newly redesigned
The state Gov. of California website. Have a look! It is Flash with my pics cut into layers for a 3-d slideshow. If you are into building apps, the State has opened up lots of data to the public, so check it out!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Resources:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Google Earth
earth.google.com/
Simply the best way to scout out locations that there is. You can see sun angles and pre-visualize light under lots of different conditions. Sometimes you can actually pre-compose your shots! This has saved me many thousands of vertical feet of climbing by avoiding spots with blocked views etc.
Satellite imagery (choose 'National' for a local US region or use your fave website)
www.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/?wfo=mtr
Tide charting and preditions: (chose your area in US, other countries have similar websites)
tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=235
Wave Heights (I choose 'North Pacific from Global')
polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/main_int.html
Or Here:
www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/RP1bw.gif
Photos of every inch of the California coastline from a small plane. Excellent for close in detailed views.
www.californiacoastline.org/
.
.
Tags: landscape seascape wave sunrise water ocean sea lava light hawaii ahalanui puna big island Pu'ala'a reflection tidepool PhotoContest-TNC11 united states usa
© All Rights Reserved
Hapuna Beach, on the dry side of the Big Island gets about 5 inches (12cm) of rain per year. However, the Kilauea volcano mixes smoke ('vog') into the clouds resulting in awesome sunsets like this! Single exposure, minimal processing, reds were desaturated to retain detail, no HDR.
Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!
See the 1200 pixel version!
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/491056932...
---------------------------------------------------------
Settings etc.:
---------------------------------------------------------
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 17-40L @23
0.4-second exposure @F13
LEE soft ND grads (100x150mm - 4x6in) 0.9 + 0.9
Lee foundation kit filter holder with Lee 77mm adapter ring
No polarizer.
ISO 50
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop
Small Slik Sprint mini II tripod
Manfrotto 322RC2 pistol-grip ball head
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Story
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hapuna beach is often rated as the #1 beach in the US, with perfect weather year-round, perfect sand and a water temperature of about 77 (25c) year round. Not too hot or too cold ever. It is a state park, so access is easy. It is also a great place to watch the sunset. Although rain clouds are blocked by the twin 14,000 ft (4300m) volcanos Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, clouds and volcanic fog ('vog') still wrap around them creating lots of thick atmosphere for dramatic sunsets.
About 15 minutes hour before this happened, I was on another beach when I realized that the sunset would look better on this beach based on the cloud patterns. So, I drove over here really quickly and ran across the beach to get to this spot. The was little drama after that however. It was a shooting gallery, as this overwhelming sunset developed and I got many versions of this, which I'll show later.
This version shows a little more sky than sand and sea, but I have other versions that show more sand. I'm not sure which look best so we will see later what you think.
ND grad filters were especially important and I had them angled about 45 degrees to darken the right side sky and even out the exposure. This could never be done in photoshop, and an HDR is a difficult thing to make natural-looking with so much red!
Check out this overview of Hapuna!
www.hawaiigaga.com/big-island/beaches/hapuna-beach.aspx
The map shows the exact location.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Other stuff
---------------------------------------------------------------------
My pictures are featured on the front page of the newly redesigned
The state Gov. of California website. Have a look! It is Flash with my pics cut into layers for a 3-d slideshow. If you are into building apps, the State has opened up lots of data to the public, so check it out!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Resources:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Google Earth
earth.google.com/
Simply the best way to scout out locations that there is. You can see sun angles and pre-visualize light under lots of different conditions. Sometimes you can actually pre-compose your shots! This has saved me many thousands of vertical feet of climbing by avoiding spots with blocked views etc.
Satellite imagery (choose 'National' for a local US region or use your fave website)
www.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/?wfo=mtr
Tide charting and preditions: (chose your area in US, other countries have similar websites)
tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=235
Wave Heights (I choose 'North Pacific from Global')
polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/main_int.html
Or Here:
www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/RP1bw.gif
Photos of every inch of the California coastline from a small plane. Excellent for close in detailed views.
www.californiacoastline.org/
.
.
Tags: landscape seascape ocean beach sea wave vog sky cloud hapuna kohala big island hawaii BRAVO usa sand reflection volcano mauna loa kea kilauea sunset wallpaper PhotoContest-TNC11 united states
© All Rights Reserved
I returned for to Point Lobos for a wider perspective of this impressive rock! It was clear all day then I got lucky when clouds came by. They were gone after sunset. No HDR.
Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!
See the 1200 pixel version!
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/452597696...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Settings etc.:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 17-40L @21
1/4-second exposure @F11
LEE soft ND grad (100x150mm - 4x6in) 0.9 + 0.75 (5 1/2 stops total)
Lee foundation kit filter holder with Lee 77mm adapter ring
No polarizer.
ISO 50
Joby Gorillapod (flexible tripod so I could lay down and not fall off the cliff!)
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop
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The Story
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Point Lobos, at the north end of Big Sur just south of Carmel, California (100 miles - 160km south of San Francisco) 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 and they did during a big set just after this photo was made. This is a wider view with more light striking the cliff face and sea than my previous attempt which is in the 2010 Nature Conservancy calendar for November.
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/275016883...
The biggest hazard is getting low enough to have the tops of the rock rise above the horizon. Then you must literally hang off the cliff to get an open view around the right foreground rock. So the Gorillapod allowed me to lay on the rock and not fall in! Also, I had to wait for a seagull to land on the top of each rock, though I made some with no seagull just in case. In a big print, the seagull really helps.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Resources:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Google Earth
earth.google.com/
Simply the best way to scout out locations that there is. You can see sun angles and pre-visualize light under lots of different conditions. Sometimes you can actually pre-compose your shots! This has saved me many thousands of vertical feet of climbing by avoiding spots with blocked views etc.
Satellite imagery (choose 'National' for a local US region or use your fave website)
www.wrh.noaa.gov/satellite/?wfo=mtr
Tide charting and preditions: (chose your area in US, other countries have similar websites)
tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.shtml?gid=235
Wave Heights (I choose 'North Pacific from Global')
polar.ncep.noaa.gov/waves/main_int.html
Or Here:
www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/shtml/RP1bw.gif
Photos of every inch of the California coastline from a small plane. Excellent for close in detailed views.
www.californiacoastline.org/
The map shows exactly where this is. It is an easy <1 mile hike from a small parking lot.
See my Flickr profile for a link to my newly designed website.
.
Tags: ocean sea sunrise sunset sand beach rock sky wave seascape landscape pinnacle rock point lobos monterey carmel california travel vacation fog stratus nature joby gorillapod canon 5d mkii 5dmkii PhotoContest-TNC10
© All Rights Reserved
