As a distraction from the near-constant rain in Vancouver at the moment, here's a photograph of a stunning sunset at the end of last month. This was one of those days that had been overcast for almost the entire day, with the clouds starting to clear just before sunset.
For this photo I headed to Dundarave Park in West Vancouver. This is a location I've photographed at many times before, but I've never really got the shot I've been hoping for, usually because the tide was too high to reveal these smooth, shiny rocks. On this day, sunset coincided with a very low tide, so I took my chances and tried again.
As usual I ended up right down at the water's edge, with the tripod low down and half-submerged, to take this shot. The best light came as the sun dipped below the horizon, lighting up the clouds with a bright orange glow. The distant rocks were wet and reflecting this light, but the foreground rocks were dry on the top, so I splashed some water on them for this photo.
A three-stop graduated ND filter controlled the brightness in the sky, and a circular polariser enhanced the reflections. I used an aperture of f/16 to get the depth of field, and a one second exposure to capture the movement of water, releasing the shutter just as a wave came in.
I'm a British software developer and photographer living in Vancouver, BC. I mainly photograph landscapes, cityscapes, night scenes, and water.
If you're interested in any...
Off the scale fav. I am spending a week in Bamburgh in August Alexis, and will be attempting shots like this. If I get 10% of what you regularly show us I will be ecstatic.
Alexis I woke up too early this morning but you just made my day. Appreciate the detailed description too as I initially thought HDR so it's nice to see someone still using ND filters. You have produced a visually stunning image here that took effort and skill. The apparent randomness of the rocks is misleading as your careful composition uses them effectively as leading lines into the frame. Your show the same care in post as you use light and shadow to paint and direct my attention to all the right places. I wish 365 has an "auto fav" button to save me some time.
Definitely worth viewing large! The reflection of the sun on the wet rocks is beautiful - worth the extra effort of splashing them with water! You think of everything! Great capture and thanks for your explanation too. Fav.
This is incredible! A feast for the eyes and the soul. I really appreciate your talking the time to walk through your setup and settings. To think that some day ... with the work and the will ... that I might capture such beauty ... Big Fat Fav!
What a beautiful location to shoot. Love the sky and the reflections, but I especially love the long exposure of the water. I'm a sucker for a good long exposure water shot.
