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Ajohn603
The Big Breach
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The Big Breach



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A humpback whale seen breaching off the coast of Cape Cod

A humpback whale seen breaching off the coast of Cape Cod
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cameraNIKON D60

settings Aperture f/4 ISO 100 Shutter 10/10000 Focal Length 550/10 

upload_dateJan, 2016

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3 Comments |
hiyahercfarm Platinum
 
hiyahercfarm January 19, 2016
Beautiful capture!
Ajohn603
Ajohn603 January 20, 2016
Thank you! :)
Celtic
 
Celtic February 01, 2016
Congrats ;)
ovosphotography
 
ovosphotography March 02, 2016
like it!

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Behind The Lens

Location

I was on vacation in Provincetown, Rhode Island at the time this photo was taken. My friends and I had decided to take a whale watching cruise off of the coast of Cape Cod spur of the moment.

Time

This has always been one of my favorite photos, not just for the capture but also because it was one of my most difficult shots to date. My friends and I where vacationing in Cape Cod and had decided to go on a whale watching cruise spur of the moment after lunch. It was a hot summer day and I was wearing a semi-short flowy skirt. The last things I was dressed for was a whale watching expedition on a boat, but I was not going to let that stop me. Once on board I had managed to get a decent seat near the bow of the boat, I needed to get closer for a better shot. I decided to go up to the bow and see if that would be any better. My new view was spectacular, there were at least half a dozen whales swimming along side us. It very windy and the water was extremely choppy, I was doing my best to just to keep my balance and hold on to the boat's side rail so I would not fall over board. I also had to use both hands to use my camera, as well as attempt to hold my skirt down. To make it even more difficult I had no idea where the whales would breach when they did decide to come up, It was a total guessing game. Even though I had a difficult conditions and some of the people on board my have seen my tush, it was all worth it when I saw this shot!

Lighting

It was a fairly gloomy day, I was very worried it was going to rain and that the whale watching cruise was going to be canceled. Instead the weather worked to my favor, the gloomy sky created a perfect blue hue that complements the whale and the water nicely. Thankfully the rain had also decided to hold off until I got back to my campsite that evening

Equipment

This image was shot on a Nikon D60 with a 18-55mm f/3.5 lens. No other equipment was involved.

Inspiration

My love for animals and nature have always fueled my inspiration for my photography. Naturally I jumped at the chance to capture these amazing animals when the opportunity presented its self.

Editing

I had taken this photo well before I had known about shooting in RAW or even how to post-process. This image was shot in JPEG so the only post-processing that was done, was done in camera.

In my camera bag

I have upgraded my equipment since this photo was taken. I always have my Nikon D5300 body with me as well as my Nikkor 50mm f1.4D lens attached 90% of the time. I also bring my 18-55mm f3.5 kit lens with me when I know I will need a wide angle lens.

Feedback

Do not wear a skirt on a boat! All jokes aside it can be fairly difficult due to conditions of the ocean. It may be very windy or the water could be very choppy. Fast shutter speeds are your best bet, and I found a wide angle lens to be very helpful because it is hard to predict where the whales may appear. Most importantly ALWAYS have a life vest close by.

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