DJLee

Sea cliffs

Photographed in western Iceland on a cold and windy day

Photographed in western Iceland on a cold and windy day
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NIKON D850

settings

Aperture f/10 ISO 40 Shutter 25/10 Focal Length 320/10

location

Iceland

Mar, 2019

Views

430

Likes

+44

Awards

Contest Finalist in Wild Cliffs Photo Contest

Peer Award

Superb Composition

Absolute Masterpiece

Top Choice

Magnificent Capture

Top Ranks

Top 30 rank

Top 20 rank

Top 30 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 2

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 10 rank

Top 20 rank

Top 20 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

This image is from the rugged coastline in Western Iceland. The basalt cliffs were covered with a thin layer of snow on a cold and windy overcast day.

Time

A few hours after sunrise, but there was no sun visible as a storm was approaching.

Lighting

It was an overcast day and that created soft, relatively even lighting. The weather, the lighting, the rugged cliffs and sea--perfect for black and white photography!

Equipment

I took this photograph with my Nikon d850 and 24-70 mm 2/8 lens. This was a fairly long exposure and so using a tripod was necessary. Even though my tripod is very sturdy, the wind almost knocked it down several times.

Inspiration

The scene was moody--crashing waves, roaring harsh wind, rugged basalt cliffs. I wanted to capture that mood and sense of wildness I was experiencing.

Editing

I shoot in raw and so some post-processing is always involved. I did what I usually do-bring down-highlights, lifting shadows, white and dark points, a bit of clarity, and tonal contrast to bring out texture in the clouds.

In my camera bag

On this trip, my bag held my Nikon d850 and three lenses--14-24mm 2/8, 14-70mm 2/8, and 70-200mm 2/8. I also carried some neutral density filters and polarizers, lens cloths, remote shutter release, rain protection for camera and lenses, extra batteries and memory cards, Allen wrench, a cell phone, and snacks.

Feedback

Getting to this location was a challenge because the path was icy--cleat on the boots helped! But the main challenge was the wind, which was fierce. Once I decided on my composition and settings, and mounted the camera on the tripod, I found that I had to protect the set up with my body as a wind block to ensure that camera shake was eliminated. Using a wireless remote shutter release really helps in this type of situation!

See more amazing photos, follow DJLee

DJLee

DJLee

Sea cliffs

Photographed in western Iceland on a cold and windy day

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow DJLee

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