Just before I made the picture of the Baseball (US) World Series game in San Francisco, I was here. What a difference a couple of hours make! Where is here? Read on. 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/512916765...
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Settings etc.:
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Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 17-40L @17.5
1/5-second exposure @F11
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
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The Story
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The rainy season is just beginning in California. In the past couple of weeks, we have had one good day of rain and a few others with a few sprinkles. The last rains were in April. So as a new storm approached, I decided to head out to the beach to see some real clouds, not just the regular summer fog. I had to keep driving down the coast in order to stay ahead of the thick clouds and I ended up 50 miles south from my intended destination. Finally, I ended up at "Hole in the Wall Beach" a favorite local photo spot. You have to walk through a beautiful sea arch to get here. It pays to keep track of the weather in situations like this because you can move to a more favorable location!
When I see a rocky outcrop like this, I often wonder how long it has been here, standing up to storms and surf. 100 years? 1,000? 10,000? 1 million? More? Since coastal erosion takes so much time at rocky locations like this, it really makes you think of the immense stretches of time required to carve out a scenic stretch of coast like this. It makes me realize how small I am compared to everything. This sense of smallness is obvious in a place like a deep canyon, a volcano or an ice-sculpted mountain. However, even a simple rock extending into the sea can spur the imagination to wonder what stories it would tell!
If you want to see the slightly different scene that I saw 2 hours after this, see here:
www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/512274498...
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!
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Resources:
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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.
Massimiliano Marrazzo, elginz, stager57, Eric 5D Mark III, and 521 other people added this photo to their favorites.
View 20 more comments
Suspended In Time Photography [deleted] 30 months ago | reply
This is incredible! Amazing capture!
DocBudie 30 months ago | reply
ohh GOD really breathaking...
Details and perfect
GPMTZ [deleted] 30 months ago | reply
Stunning.
Shawn S. Park 30 months ago | reply
Really beautiful and great detail.
This picture looks like alive.
tobey308 30 months ago | reply
whoaa.... excellent!!!
Philip_Wal†on_94 30 months ago | reply
love the perfect exposure you use for your photos!
alessmile ♥ 30 months ago | reply
Spectacular photo. Great composition and timing!
Tks for explanation!
Evangelio Gonzalez MD 29 months ago | reply
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THIS PHOTOGRAPHY ROCKS!!
I Award You A Duck
Post 1 Award 3
Please tag photo's with "Photography_Rocks"
www.flickr.com/groups/photography_rocks/
POST 1 AWARD 3
EyvindEb1 29 months ago | reply
Love your work! One of my favorites, with its details and light
Tjarko Evenboer 29 months ago | reply
Oh my, this is gorgeous! The splashes are awesome!
JeremyRambles 29 months ago | reply
Magic!
Lord Muttley McFester 29 months ago | reply
Superb image, love it.
bukharov 28 months ago | reply
Absolute perfection!
bazilicom 28 months ago | reply
As good as it gets.
Uncle Rhea 27 months ago | reply
superb shot.
Jim_Gillard 27 months ago | reply
Simply amazing.
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Seen on your photo stream. (?)
arinamrr 19 months ago | reply
You have such amazing photos!! :D
Keep up the great work!
valentino * 19 months ago | reply
bella fotografia
louisa_catlover 14 months ago | reply
beautiful!!
dcaramia 9 months ago | reply
nice action