shauntokes
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AlanJakarta
February 23, 2015
Great slow-exposure which captures the wave's movement very well. Congratulations on being Featured.
kathyk_abq
February 23, 2015
Incredible shot and processing! It looks like a painting - gorgeous! Congratulations on being featured. :)
KesPhotography
February 24, 2015
Beautifully done! Very unique image of crashing waves. Not one you see hardly at all!
Baumhaus
August 22, 2015
Usually I`m not a fan of long exposures with water. But this wave ist an eye-catcher an a very good foto.
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at a secret surf spot on the island of O'ahu, Hawaii.Time
This was during a time when I was going on solo dawn patrols. I shot this before the sun rose high enough to break above the mountains behind and blow out the exposure.Lighting
Perhaps what's worth mentioning about the lighting is that there was no direct light.Equipment
This was shot with a Canon 5D II, Canon EF 300 f4L IS on a Manfrotto tripod.Inspiration
Being that Hawaii, and O'ahu in particular is a surfing destination, there's countless photos taken of surfing and waves. At this point in time, I was shooting at the beach a lot. I had been making surf related images for years and was looking for different ways to shoot the same things. I started dragging my shutter and experimenting with varying shutter speeds for interesting effects. Too long and you lose definition. Too fast and it loses the dramatic sense of movement. On this day, I was lucky enough to come across this wave that was breaking really close to shore to where I could fill the frame with it and really capture the intensity of the ocean.Editing
Post processing was definitely involved. There was a considerable amount of dust spots present which had to be removed. Because the lighting was so flat, and as RAW files are as well, I boosted contrast and added a bit of saturation. I did basic corrections and spot healing in LR then did the finishing touches on Nik's Color efx and Analog efx.In my camera bag
I have a few bags that I'll set up depending what I'm looking to shoot. But what always comes with me is the Zeiss 50 f2 Makro Planar ZE. The lenses I bring tend to vary but I always pack that lens. I like to carry 2 camera bodies. Just in case. There's those times when I'll set up one camera to shoot a timelapse sequence while I do regular stills on the other. This means I also need 2 tripods, of which I usually have a compact travel tripod as well as a regular sized one. Also, an intervalometer, spare batteries, vari ND with step up rings, many microfiber cloths, and a flashlight. Oftentimes I'll bring pepper spray. I'm really mindful of my surroundings and where I'm going to shoot. There's a lot of shady people out there and photographers are, sadly, a target so it's good to have some kind of deterrent.Feedback
For someone looking to make a similar image, scouting beforehand is a definite must. As is knowing the ocean and weather conditions. Always pay attention to the ocean and heed the warnings. We often get visitors who go where they shouldn't and get themselves in sometimes very critical situations. Shooting in manual and really knowing your equipment greatly increases your chances of getting something decent. I usually have my camera set up in single shot, but for these images it's rather necessary to use continuous, as the movement happens so fast. I also use back button AF to decouple the AF from the shutter to decrease AF hunt. Shooting at the beach, especially when the surf is up exposes your equipment to salty air and sand so it's good to wipe down your gear afterwards, as I've destroyed a few tripods along the way.