Under the Pier

The second day of our shore trip greeted me with rain and overcast skies, just like I had last year. Realizing this I headed down to the Ocean City Inlet where a pier extends into the Atlantic. The dark clouds assured me there would be no sunrise this morning, so I would need another subject to photograph. I used some long exposure techniques to photograph the waves as they crashed on the beach. With the shutter of the camera open for a long time the fast moving waves even out their placement in the picture and fast moving crests disappear. The water appears calm because the camera compresses time. To get a better idea of how this works, here’s a picture (with a fast shutter) to capture the waves as they crashed through the pier’s supports.

Faster shutter speed of 1/60 of a second

Nikon D4 Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 40mm f/5.6 ISO 6400 1/60sec

With the camera recording information over the course of half a minute the fast moving waves only occupy specific areas for short periods of time, so they are virtually removed from a 30 second picture.  The Pier’s wooden legs don’t move and therefore are filmed for the full exposure and are firmly etched onto the camera’s sensor, yielding these pictures.  

 

Long Exposure

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28mm f/18 ISO 100 30 seconds

Long Exposure

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 40mm f/9 ISO 100 30 seconds

Finishing Beach Week

My favorite beach picture doesn’t have a beach in it but, not only is it my favorite beach picture ,it is also one of my all time favorites. We were away for the weekend visiting Ocean City, Maryland ,and I had taken some wonderful sunrise pictures on Saturday morning. Early Sunday I arose to the sound of rain. Crestfallen, but determined, I ventured out. I drove to the Southernmost point of the city where the Atlantic flows into the Ocean City Inlet, where there is a giant parking lot. I sat in my car gazing out at the black sky knowing that a sunrise was out of the question today. Workers were out inspecting the amusement rides and collecting trash from the night before, sweeping the wet sand and puddles from the blacktop. I thought about how chilly the wind was, how biting the drizzling drops would feel against my face, and how violent the surf was. I wished the clouds would part and resurrect this pre-dawn disaster. I waited...

Then I had an idea. I had read about, and seen examples of, long exposure photography. I thought now might be the time to give it a try. Standing on the beach looking out into the pitch black was intimidating. I thought the pier would give a nice focal point for the picture, since it was the only thing I could see, and the lights would give the camera something to focus on. I never imagined the image below would appear in the viewfinder. Because the shutter was open for more than twenty seconds, the moving waves disappeared into a calm pool of water. The lights on the pier shone like stars and the blue in the sky and on the ocean glowed richly on the display. The camera’s sensor, being exposed to the faint light for so long, captured the rich azure blue my eyes were incapable of perceiving. I gaped in awe at the camera. It was a fabulous morning.

Nikon D5100 Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17mm f/13 ISO 100 20 sec

 

#TravelTuesday Cathedral Rock

Staying with the Sedona theme I wanted to call your attention to what is one of the most iconic views of the American Southwest. Cathedral Rock is easy to get to. It’s just a mile off highway 179, ten to fifteen minutes from downtown Sedona. Hiking is permitted up to some of the peaks, my wife and I did not make the climb (we had a plane to catch that evening, and a hospital stay would have delayed our departure). There is a state park on Forest Park Rd (fee) where you can walk 3 minutes to a stream and photograph this structure to your heart's content. These are a few of my favorites from different vantage points. When, and I highly recommend it, you visit to Sedona, even if you are not a hiker or trail runner, take an hour or two and relax at Cathedral Rock. (Bring your camera)

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 42mm f/18 ISO 100 30sec w/10 stop ND filter

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 45mm f/14 ISO 100 30sec 10 stop ND filter

The Shortening of Days

As winter encroaches around us, the sunlit hours dwindle. During this time of year I often find myself out working at night. Driving from one house to the next, trying to earn a living, I keep my eyes open for interesting photo opportunities. One thing that has peaked my curiosity is night photography. The picture for today was taken by leaving the camera shutter open for thirty seconds. The minimal light that was in the scene poured into the lens and slowly constructed the picture you see below. It’s amazing the detail that the camera saw but I could not. Getting pictures like this makes me feel better about the coming Winter.

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 36mm f/10 ISO 100 30 sec.