Sunrise at Walton Lighthouse
Beautiful sunrise at Walton Lighthouse :-)
Beautiful sunrise at Walton Lighthouse :-)
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Jun, 2015Views
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Awards
Staff Winter Selection 2015
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Top Ranks
Top 20 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This picture was taken at Walton Light House, Santa Cruz, California, USA.Time
This was one of my most memorable pictures. I remember waking up at 4 am and drove all the way to Santa Cruz. Waited for an hour in dry cold weather. Hands went numb and Warm coffee was my only companion. I took the time to think about the composition and how I'm going to frame this picture. In the spur of a moment, I experienced beautiful golden light making its way through horizon! Once the sun came through Horizon, this picture happened! Nothing feels better than just watching nature unfold itself and present you one of the most beautiful sunrise.Lighting
This is the key to the picture. I wanted the sun to be at the horizon. For this to happen, timing is crucial. This is the fun part as well. Playing the waiting game with the nature :-DEquipment
I've used Canon 60D with 17-40 F/4 lens. Natural light. No flash has been used.Inspiration
I've always had an affinity towards lighthouses. Thanks to #Escaype my forecasting service, I use their weather prediction as the fundamental base for deciding the kind of sunrise/sunset that I was going to capture. Followed by many other tools such as photographer's ephemeris, I was able to see at what angle the sun rises. Thus, I understood where to setup my composition and how I want my picture framed.Editing
Yes, there is a bit of post production involved. In this case, I touched up little bit on shadows, and underexposed the picture a little to give that mood, dramatic feeling for the picture. By default, the RAW files that come of the camera's sensors are flat. (However they are improving these days).In my camera bag
It depends on the kind of shoot I will be doing. For example, my backpack for Astro shoot would be different than the one I shoot for Landscapes/Seascapes. Ideally, I'm a supporter for traveling light! I usually carry my Canon 24-70 f/2.8 and my Canon 70-200 f/2.8 this pretty much covers my landscape criteria. If I'm shooting milkyway, I would additionally carry some filters for seascapes, I've got couple LEE ND 0.8 grad filters. For Tripod, I use Manfrotto Be Free Tripod with Manfrotto 054 Magnesium Ball Head with Q2 Quick Release.Feedback
Tips: The way I see it, there are few phases of every photoshoot. I’ll try to break it down to make it as simpler as possible. 1: Planning Phase: 1a. Scout the Location I know that it’s tempting to show up at a convenient place and start shooting but the key to get an amazing picture is to scout the location. Knowing where you’re going to shoot and where the sun is going to rise/set. 1b. Weather Check for the other factors such as, Weather, Time of the sunset/sunrise. I use the following tools. (Maybe this might even help you) photographer's ephemeris (http://photoephemeris.com/) TPE will help you plan your shoot and check various things such as sunrise/sunset timings. Additionally, I want to give big props to ‘Escaype’ a weather predicting service which I totally rely on for my landscape weather needs before I shoot. Addtionally, they’ve got an amazing photography community. 2: Shooting Phase. Alright! The preparation is over. Now you’re onto the fun part! Once you’re on location and you are ready for the shot, you need to remember few things: 2a. Composition: Composition is the key. Take a look at the scene over. What part is dramatic? Are there are any parts that aren’t as interesting of a focus? Shoot at variety of focal lengths, that way you will have shots to review later. Get Creative, try different exposures, play with your exposure compensation settings for different tones. Don’t be lazy to move and try different perspectives. 2b: Message/Story: What are you trying to convey to your audience? What is the point of interest in your shot? If you have answers to the above questions, you are on right track! 2c: Waiting for the right shot: If you have been shooting landscapes, sometimes waiting is the game :-) Because the dynamics of the natural light might change anytime from minute to minute! There have often been many scenarios where I missed to capture a beautiful sunset in matter of few minutes. Most important rule of all, BREAK ALL THE RULES. Sometimes life isn’t about just few rules. Get creative, try getting low, take different perspectives and experiment. The fun part lies in experimentation! Thanks for reading! May good light be with you!
