Serenity
Long exposure of the sunrise over VA Beach
Long exposure of the sunrise over VA Beach
Read less
Read less
Nov, 2015Views
3544
Likes
Awards
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Legendary Award
Top Shot Award
Contest Finalist in Unique Sceneries Photo Contest
Featured
Contest Finalist in Piers Side View Photo Contest
Staff Winter Selection 2015
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2Top 30 rank week 1
BoydImages
March 24, 2016
Hi Lucas. I love the photo, I'm just curious, how did you get the birds to look so still with a long exposure?
lucasamoore
September 01, 2016
Hey thanks Boydimages, I just cut them out of other photos I had taken that day and put them in this one.
Anon_1234
July 31, 2016
Gorgeous! I love the colors and leading lines! And yes, the sharp birds versus the blur from the water and sky will cause some of the more technically minded photographers to take pause, but I would never mind that. It's a beautiful image, and the birds add a little something to it that improves the story being told, in my humble opinion.
lucasamoore
September 01, 2016
Wow thanks Brandon! yeah I wasn't too sure about the birds, but I really do like them in there to!
PRO+
FlyingEagle
November 14, 2018
Wow, this is really inspiring! The birds make the shot look really dreamy along with the clouds moving. Great! This would look breathtaking as a large print.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
-
Share to Facebook
-
Share to X
-
Share to WhatsApp
-
Share via Email
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo in Virginia Beach, Va right beside the VA Beach Fishing Pier. I live in VA but about 4 hours aways from the beach, so this was the first time photographing the pier.Time
This photo was shot in the morning at sunrise. This was during a short trip to the beach with my mom actually, we were only there for two days so I had to get some good shots. We were at VA Beach so I knew that the sunrise was the best chance to get a good shot over the ocean since the sun rises over it and I wouldn't be able to see the sunset on the ocean. I got up super early, knowing it was going to be worth it. I knew I wanted to shoot the ocean in some aspect, but was trying to figure out how I could make an interesting photo, that's when I saw the pier. It was a long way down the beach, but I figured it was the best chance I had at getting the shot I was looking for. So, I went for a walk and got down to the pier where I set up to get it.Lighting
As the sun was rising, I actually had gotten kind of bummed out when I saw that it was coming up behind some clouds right as it was coming over the horizon. The clouds were blocking a lot of the light at first, so I decided to stick it out for a little while until the sun peeked through the clouds as you see in the photo.Equipment
I shot this on a Nikon D750 with a Sigma 10-20mm with an ICE ND1000 filter on a Mefoto Roadtrip tripodInspiration
Landscapes are my favorite thing to shoot and have been since I bought a DSLR several years ago. I had first gotten into long exposures with astrophotography, so I knew a little but wanted to try more during different parts of the day and I had just recently gotten a ND filter that I wanted to try out too. I always admired shots similar to this with a pier side view with silky looking water from the long exposure. I don't live near any oceans so I was super excited to finally get a chance to used what I knew to try and get a good pier shot.Editing
Yes, I did quite a bit of post-processing to the photo. I honestly believe the editing is where most of an artist's creativity comes into play to make a good photo a great photo. Two people could have the same equipment and get a pretty similar angle to get basically the same photo, but the way each one edits the photo could be completely different and that will show in the end. I did most of the processing in Camera Raw adjusting the highlights, shadows, curves, hues, etc. After that I wanted to add something else. I had remembered some other photos I took that morning with some seagulls in frame. I found four photos with seagulls and cut them out of each one of them to add them into this photo. I wanted the viewer to feel the atmosphere of that morning as much as possible and I thought the birds was a perfect way to do that.In my camera bag
I don't have a lot of equipment, but I have just what I need. First off, I have my Nikon D750 with the 24-85 f3.5-4.5 kit lens which is pretty versatile. Then I have my Sigma 10-20mm wide angle. I got it when I was using a crop sensor D5200, and just haven't been able to upgrade to a wide angle for a full frame. In saying that, I have gotten some of my best images with the Sigma and will continue to use it! Lastly, but not least, I've got the nifty fifty. I have a 50mm f 1.8 that I do most of my portraits with. I also have a MeFoto Roadtrip aluminum tripod which has done me well.Feedback
Plan out your shot, have an idea of what you're looking to get. Of course you can never plan a landscape photo down to the tee...unless you're God, but having an idea of what you want will give you the best chance of getting it. Do research and know where and when you're going to need to be where you want to be to get the shot. Like if you're on the east coast the sun is going to rise over the ocean and set over the west. Get there early. I can't tell you how many times I've watched the best part of a sunrise or sunset come and go while I was driving to where I wanted to photograph. Wait for the right moment. Keep photographing until the sunrise or sunset is completely over. Sometimes I've thought I've seen the best part and got the best shot I could only to realize the best was yet to come. Have the right the equipment. Once you know what you want to capture, you'll know what you'll need. You won't be able to do a 40 second exposure when the sun is out without some type of ND filter and a sturdy tripod. Get different angles. Something I sometimes do is stick to one spot I like and never really branch out to see if there is a better angle which I always end up regretting. Don't get discouraged, keep preserving. Things are going to go wrong, a lot. Maybe you're not seeing the dream shot you thought you were going to get, keep trying. All it takes is one right moment to get THAT shot. I didn't think I was going to see the sun on the morning I shot this because of the clouds, and I almost just left. But I stayed and the right time came. I was also doing some shots close to were the tide was coming and every time I was doing a long exposure the water would come up and move the tripod so the photo would be ruined. After awhile I just dug my tripod deep down in the sand so it wouldn't move. Assess the circumstances and figure out what it's going to take to get the shot you've came all this way for!
