A low tide at sunset during the winter time is the only time when this view can be seen. Usually this spot is underwater and large waves pass through submerging this place under 5-10 feet of water. I've been waiting a long time to capture this scene! No HDR.
Free wallpaper for over 100 of my images in 6 different screen sizes is now available!
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www.flickr.com/photos/patrick-smith-photography/542181160...
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Details about this image:
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Canon 5D mark II
Canon 17-40L lens @19mm
0.3-sec. exposure @F10
ISO 100
ND Grads 0.9 + 0.9
No polarizer.
RAW file processed with Capture One by Phase One
TIFF file processed with Photoshop cs4
Small Slik Sprint mini II tripod
Manfrotto 322RC2 pistol-grip ball head
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The Story
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Grey Whale Cove, about 20 miles south of San Francisco is an excellent beach for photography and for just playing around. Yesterday afternoon was warm and sunny (75f, 24c at sunset) with some high thin clouds which are best for creating those brilliant red sunsets just as the sun drops below the horizon. This evening did not disappoint.
Be careful what you ask for. I was hoping that these clouds would make a red sunset, but the camera had a a tough time with it. It was incredible to see with my own eyes but the reds were getting blown out and the clouds were turning into red featureless blobs. So I had to move into a position where I was pointing away from the sun and then angle two strong grads over the bright parts on the left side of the sky. Most of this picture is not darkened by the grads at all, just the bits in the upper left. And even then, I had to desaturate the reds a bit in Photoshop to get back the detail. For that, I selected the red parts of the sky, feathered the selection, chose the red channel in Levels, and lowered the brightness.
There are lots of elements here that are difficult to capture all at once. Winter is the only time to get light on the monolith rock because the sun sets to the left of the frame. During the rest of the year, the sun sets behind the rock, making it a silhouette.
Another element is that it must be a very low tide in order to get into this spot because there is a cliff right behind me with limited escape options. (This was a 0.0 ft. tide. A minus tide might be even better but the waves would not be there.) And this beach has a habit of sending these sleeper wave surges in avery 5 minutes or so. Just when you get used to the patterns of the waves, a surge will come in and the water rises about 4-5 feet even with small waves. So you have to look constantly out to sea to give yourself time to prepare for a quick escape!
Other elements include that I waited for the sand to become reflective so capture the relection of the monolith rock and for a wave to strike the rock. And I wanted to show a big wave in the distance. About 20 seconds later, that wave flooded this area quite efficiently I must say!
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
state Government. of California website and the new Governor, Jerry Brown's website too. 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.
Salva del Saz, and 430 other people added this photo to their favorites.
View 20 more comments
ewaldmario 28 months ago | reply
colors and composition are simply great ...
zsazsabear 28 months ago | reply
Patrick this is seriously a gorgeous image! Everything about it
Thanks for sharing
edwademd 28 months ago | reply
Great light!
7.3 Powerstroke 28 months ago | reply
Great image. I needed a good background for my wife and dog, and this is much better than the horse trailer I had before! Thanks!
Nostalgia ✛ ɐıuǝɹɥdodʎH 28 months ago | reply
God's gifts.
TeryKats 27 months ago | reply
beautiful colors
Beba Photography 25 months ago | reply
This is SO gorgeous and stunning! Nice work! : )
zPRIME 25 months ago | reply
Wow. The colors are just insane! I have to say .. I'm impressed to like the nth degree! Thanks for sharing!
DarkAngelDay 24 months ago | reply
So cool image!
westiemumma 23 months ago | reply
*GreatPixGallery 200 Faves+
Kal04nia 22 months ago | reply
Beautiful! great compo, luv it!
martinbraunphotography.com 21 months ago | reply
Wonderful capture,well done.
Thank's for sharing with us!
Photo--Graphy [deleted] 21 months ago | reply
Marvelous image, nicely composed and shot. Very well done.
Siuloon 20 months ago | reply
Wow......
Very nice shot.
[ via search results on flickriver --Siuloon ]
IMAGES OF WALES.... (TIMWOOD) 20 months ago | reply
Fantastic shot!
shutrbug59 18 months ago | reply
I love the gold and amber hues in this pic ...BEAUTIFUL!!;)
© Tristan Pereira 17 months ago | reply
Wonderful light and compo ! :)
Carmen Lario 17 months ago | reply
Tienes una galería impresionante. Felicidades!
emmycakes8d@yahoo.com 11 months ago | reply
your pictures are beautiful
Gemma~A Passionate Photographer 8 months ago | reply
Magnificent sunset and scenery.