Alannixon

Vetchies Pier, Durban

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

settings

Aperture f/16.0 ISO 400 Shutter 4/1

upload_date

Jan, 2014

Views

2979

Likes

+1k

Awards

Contest Finalist in Notes of Blue Photo Contest

Contest Finalist in Resource Travel Inspiration Photo Contest vol1

Featured

Superb Composition

+240

Top Choice

+72

Absolute Masterpiece

+71

Peer Award

+39

Outstanding Creativity

+31

Superior Skill

+19

All Star

Magnificent Capture

Jaw Dropping

Exceptional Contrast

Great Find

Top Class Lighting

One Of A Kind

Genius

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 2

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 20 rank

great shot, well done

Beautiful

Wonderful shot. Congratulations.

PRO+

Very nice!

Thanks everyone for the feedback, much appriciated : )

A really cool, edgy shot. Congratulations on your Feature!

Beautiful capture!

Beautiful shot.Congrats!

...congratulations on your Feature :-)

Thanks again everyone, awesome feedback : )

Awesome!

Ultimate

Great shot

Congratulations!

Lovely shot. Congrats!

Platinum

Awesome shot!

Beautiful.. love how the lights look like stars....

Excellent capture. Congrats

Magnificent image!

awesome

beautiful

Great shot cheers

Platinum

Great capture. Congrats. - Jake

beautiful

The sort of shot that stops you in your tracks to just look and look - exceptional.

Premium

beautiful lighting and intensity.

Superb composition, great timing for exposure, not too long at 4seconds to still give details in the waves, another great shot, well done, Lincoln :)

Premium

love the composition!

Nice!

Amazing!

Congratulations on your Contest Finalist win in Resource Travel Inspiration Photo Contest vol1

Ultimate

love this

Platinum

Congratulations on being a finalist!👏

See all

Same photographer See all Behind The Lens

This was captured at a game farm just outside Johannesburg where the game walk around between the bungalows. It's also an area popular with the balloo

The 14th hole at the Mount Edgecombe Country Club, Durban, South Africa.

Behind The Lens

Location

Vetchi's pier is one of the must have shots if you live in Durban. The restaurant at the pier always adds a point of interest as well as the lights along the pier. it also has a shallow beach which gives lovely reflections on a low tide.

Time

I had mad a point of shooting the pier and I'm always up early looking at the clouds in hope of a beautiful sunrise. And that means about 4am in Summer in Durban. This particular day it didn't look promising but with the weather you never know. So off I went ever hopeful. this was taken at 04:15. Early mornings are something of a lifestyle if you enjoy land or seascape photography.

Lighting

Light is an important factor in all photography, but even more so in landscape photography as you have no control over what the light is going to do. Which can be exciting though as you can plan for one scenario but but just don't know what is going to happen and you have to make a plan quickly when it doesn't happen. This case in particular. With a gloomy sky and no sun rise I decided to use the lights on the pier as the point of interest as they illuminated the pier and created a good leading line to the end of the pier.

Equipment

I had just upgraded to a 5DmkIII combined with a Canon 24-105mm. So was chuffed to be out there shooting with it, and it didn't let me down. Ideally you should be using a wider lens for landscapes but again, it all depends how effectively use your equipment. The full frame did help as well. I use a sturdy tripod which can be a bit heavy to slog up and down a beach but when you are likely to be ankle deep in a strong backwash you need sturdy equipment to steady your shot.

Inspiration

It was a gloomy morning but tried to make the most of it and was really pleased with the result. One thing you learn quickly with landscape photography, is that there are no guarantees with the weather, so just crack on and make another plan, don't waste the morning! You might just be surprised with what you can get.

Editing

I always use lightroom to balance the light and white balance in my photographs. In the The raw file the sky was warmer and more grey so adding some contrast and cooling the white balance gave it a great mood. Then I just lifted the lights and restaurant at the end of the pier. Then a slight vignette to help the mood, important not to over do a vignette.

In my camera bag

My Canon 5DmkIII is my go to body. Lens wise, If I'm outdoors, first in my pack is the Canon 16-35 2.8 then the Canon 70-200 2.8 + 2x extender for any opportunity I see of people, dogs or anything interesting on the beach. I always have a flash plus diffuser, a spare battery, plenty of memory cards, a couple of filters, remote release, soft cloth for wiping the lens, torch or headlamp, pocket knife and a small towel. Being a seascape photographer, your camera getting splashed is not a case of if, but when!

Feedback

Seascape photography really takes an effort. You need to know you tides, watch the weather and always try do a recce of the spot you have chosen. Being prepared is key, if it looks like fair weather still take a windbreaker as the weather can turn. Pack the night before, because you have to be up early, you're bound to forget something if you pack and you go. And speaking of time, you need to be on your spot about half an hour before twilight, this will give you enough time to find the best composition and then wait for the magic to happen. Happy shooting!

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Alannixon

Alannixon

Vetchies Pier, Durban

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow Alannixon

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