Here is something we can learn from phillg about the techniques and story behind this awarded photo titled Hornsea Beach 2.
"I live on the East Yorkshire coast, a place of outstanding natural beauty that I try to portray in my images. I find that being out with my camera is an escape from the stress of daily life, I can relax and focus on the natural beauty that surrounds me. There's nothing better than getting up in the early hours and chasing the light..."
Where did you take this photo?
I captured this image on Hornsea's North beach, a location I visit when I'm feeling lazy as the parking lot is a two minute walk from this stunning location. It is best visited around high tide, on this occasion, the sea was like a mill pond so I opted for the little stopper and a long exposure.
What time of day?
I had not been out with the camera for what seemed like ages and the weather forecast was not good for the weekend, so I decided to head off to Hornsea at about 5:30am on the Friday morning to capture the dawn light and get back by 7:30 to get ready to work. I captured this image at about 6:25 am
Anything worth sharing about lighting?
I used a two stop hard graduated filter over the sky to balance the exposure of the image.
What equipment did you use?
I used a Canon EOS 5D Mark III, EF17-40mm f/4L USM, tripod, cable release, Lee 0.6 Graduated ND filter and little stopper.
What inspired you to take this photo?
Usually, Hornsea beach has beautiful waves and great surf, but on this day the sea was like a mill pond so I decided to use the little stopper to create a four second exposure to soften the sea and the sky against the nice texture.
Did you do any post-processing? If yes, tell us about it!
First I imported the photo to lightroom to set the camera profile and correct some lens distortion before reducing the highlights a fraction and lifting the shadows. Then I set B&W before making a slight s shape in the tone curve. It was sharpen a bit and did a little noise reduction.
What equipment do you normally have in your bag?
A Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EOS 7D, EF17-40mm f/4L USM, EF 24-105mm f4 L IS USM Lens, 0.3, 0.6 x2, 0.9 x2 hard graduated Lee filters, 0.6 ND filter, Big Stopper, Little Stopper, Circular polariser, landscape circular polariser, manual white balance card and miscellaneous cleaning products.
Any advice for others trying to capture something similar?
I always arrive early at the location giving me plenty of time to scout around, get a feel for the place and I always go with an open mind. No matter how well I plan the shot, there is always the odd surprise like on this occasion when there was hardly any waves or on other occasions when the weather forecast has been wrong, although I plan meticulously, there are always variables.
Discover phillg's photographic style and techniques.
Hornsea Beach 2 by
North Landing
Saltwick Burst
