ScottLThomas

Venus and Saturn Dance on the Sea

Just before sunrise, Venus and Saturn are reflected in the tides at Googin's Island, Wolfe Neck State Park, Freeport, Maine USA...
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Just before sunrise, Venus and Saturn are reflected in the tides at Googin's Island, Wolfe Neck State Park, Freeport, Maine USA
Read less

PENTAX K-5

settings

Aperture f/13.0 ISO 800 Shutter 30/1 Focal Length 18/1

upload_date

May, 2015

Views

355

Likes

+12

Awards

Staff Winter Selection 2015

Superb Composition

Absolute Masterpiece

Top Choice

Outstanding Creativity

Peer Award

Top Ranks

Top 20 rank

Behind The Lens

Location

This was taken at Wolfe's Neck State Park, in Freeport Maine. The silhouetted land with trees in the near left is Googin's Island (a bird refuge), while the distant area beneath the rising sun is a portion of Casco Bay.

Time

I wanted to shoot a sunrise in this location, as I knew the sun would be coming up behind Googin's Island. It is about a quarter mile hike from the parking area to the coast where the shot was made. Of course, I forgot my flashlight, and my phone battery was too low to trust using its flashlight function. I stumbled by memory through the narrow forest pathway, until reaching the rocks where I arrived about 30 minutes before the sun would rise on this chilly November morning in Maine.

Lighting

Of course, being a sunrise, this is natural light. I did want the effect of the sun coming out of the darkness, so I took several shots early, to test how they would look.

Equipment

I used a tripod for this 30 second exposure (I probably would have tried some longer exposures, as well, but in the dark I couldn't find my cable release, so was limited to the self-timer to avoid vibration, and a 30-second max exposure. My tripod has a mounting screw on the bottom of the center column, so I inverted the camera on there, so that the camera was actually about an inch above the rocks which are shrouded in darkness at the bottom of the image. My camera was a Pentax K-5 with Pentax 18-135 mm at 18 mm, f/13.

Inspiration

I had hiked this area before, and wanted to try a sunset or sunrise. About a week before this was taken I tried a sunset. I did get some nice images, but realized that I wanted a more dramatic feel - darkness giving way to the yellows and oranges of the sunrise. I came back a week later, and this was the result. I was really pleased to see the moon, as I hadn't counted on that in planning. Looking at the sky, I could see a planet, which i assumed was Venus. Looking more closely at the image I realized that what had first appeared to be a blur, was actually a second planet. Checking a site with historical astronomical data, I found that the more prominent planet was indeed Venus, and the less distinct planet was Saturn. Due to the long exposure and water movement, in the reflection on the water they blur together, hence the title.

Editing

Unfortunately, due to computer issues, I seem to have lost the exact steps of post processing. Looking at the other photos around it, I can say that I undoubtedly did some spot removal for dust, a bit of straightening, added some contrast and clarity, and quite possibly a bit of saturation in the orange and yellow.

In my camera bag

The Pentax 18-135 lens that I used here is my go-to lens as it is so versatile. I now also carry a Pentax 15mm prime, which I didn't have at the time of shooting this image. I sometimes will use a Tamron 80-300, but it is too soft for many things. I also carry an old manual Pentax 50mm f/1.4 from my old film days. It is extremely sharp and the wide aperture is great for low light (and the bokeh is wonderful!). I generally have a cable release and a wireless release, as well as a tripod and ND filters.

Feedback

Maine's coast has hundreds, if not thousands, of inlets, coves and harbors that are perfect for landscape photos - especially sunrise and sunset. If you don't like getting up early for sunrise, Maine is so far north that in the later fall (as it was for this shot in November) the sunrise is a quite respectable 6:49 a.m. The sunsets are earlier, too, so be prepared for that! And don't forget your flashlight!

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ScottLThomas

ScottLThomas

Venus and Saturn Dance on the Sea

Just before sunrise, Venus and Saturn are reflected in the tides at Googin's Island, Wolfe Neck State Park, Freeport, Maine USA... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow ScottLThomas

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Just before sunrise, Venus and Saturn are reflected in the tides at Googin's Island, Wolfe Neck State Park, Freeport, Maine USA...
Read more

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Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.