CR5469
Costa Rica
Costa Rica
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Mar, 2014Views
461
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Awards
Top Shot Award 22
Featured Store
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Exceptional Contrast
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Categories
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Behind The Lens
Location
During Mytho-Psychology grad school camp outs at Carpinteria State Beach campground, I eagerly awaited sunsets camera at the ready and advantageous angles accessible, so that capturing each sunset in its various stages unveiled fullest potential of energy and power of magnitude to best reveal the essence of being there for others to share.Time
This image is one of a series of sunset shots taken on numerous California and Oregon beaches accessing Pacific Ocean scenery. Always my attempt is to get as close to the surface of whatever reflective surface from which the shots begin, whether ocean wave slick beach sand or calm windless sloughs. To specify time is to determine year, month, week and day, as sunsets vary accordingly. Tip: best sunrise shots seen occur in Santa Barbara in October along East Beach and on calm windless days the slough there provides perfect mirror images.Lighting
To me, the energetic essence, the amplitude and magnetic power of a sunset or sunrise occur best in two situations naturally: when able to see and photograph the sun and sun-painted clouds from ground level looking outward when near most bodies of water, even puddles. What our toes see magnifies what our head sees. The second truly astounding sunset or sunrise scene occurs as sunrise breaks horizon or as sunset nears horizon and the purples or burgundies or magentas or reds or oranges wash over landscapes water coloring mountains, peaks, arches, rooftops, steeples, bridges, forests, prairies, wildflowers, and/or any small group or single subject or model, for in such moments the glorious glowing gives universal secrets and keys to treasure troves. The capture of what appear to be shafts of light, sun shafts or sunbeams or moonbeams for night owls produces a reverential feeling of awe when in the moment itself and may very well be one of the most sought after of special moment photography, both by photographer and viewer.Equipment
I use any number of cameras and tripods from bogen to manfrotto and others, from mainly Nikon to Sony and others. My shooting styles and subject matter occurring mostly natural and oftentimes naturally and from odd angles usually taken from the toes up to below the knees has required me to devise human appendages such as thighs or knees combined with tree trunks or megaliths tripods and to develop feetroots when shooting to minimize body tremors and shivers.Inspiration
To experience myself and then to share with others or to reveal or unveil by portraying or capturing the energy or essence of the thing at hand is my aim in all art: written or performed poetry or word, blind-meditative sculpture, trance dancing, deep-meditative oil paintings, soul songs, and poesis photography. To usher forth one iota of semblance of powerful essence of that sunset splashing atop wave crests crashing shorelines is to achieve aims and objectives as an artist, for in that precise moment of viewer being moved merely through looking at a reproduction or representation of the full glory experience imbues belies detractors and empowers creators to continue regardless of personal recognition or rewards for being conduits.Editing
I limit post processing to include as minimal photo editing as possible normally in outdated and slower operating photo editing software on an ancient Mac tower that I bolstered and revved up to its allowable extent so that the actual editing process itself nearly recreates the photographic experience arising to I swear I can taste the salty air caressing my face thoughts as sunset casts glows on walls behind.In my camera bag
Normally keep equipment light on my body to maximize personal balance and feetrootedness. The main reason for switching from bogen to manfrotto involves lightweight durability, despite preferring bogen functionality in achieving great camera angles, using tripods on tree trunks or on cliff walls is not heavy clunky tripod friendly. Always already are up to six or more empty sticks, two fully charged extra batteries, and download cable with connectivity needs to match laptop and/or external hard drive, and at times a flash when hiking old growth forests, or a special lens if needed for specific reasons. Usually, you ought to know a broad scope of what you are keenly looking to shoot and prepare accordingly. If sunset, but I plan on arriving four hours early to hike beach area trails, then I will pack two bags, one for fauna and vegetation and landscape, and then one for sunsets. A recharging cable with adaptors helps on unexpectedly heavy shooting days. Lens cleaner when shooting Oceanside or in dusty or wet conditions is mandatory so one tucks inside top zipper pocket.Feedback
Get accustomed to seeing your surroundings from your feet up to your knees. This means a lot of getting dirty by laying down and elbow pads will decrease your elbow scabs and abrasions especially when trying to get down fast and set your elbow tripods to shoot a fast disappearing cat or dog at home. I don’t recommend engaging in set up situations to practice out in nature shots because nature waits for us as much as on-campus class-attendance mandatory professors wait, trains wait, or lever pulled ballot voting booths wait. That perfect instant when dandelion seeds poof up to immediately disperse in dazzling floating magic doesn’t await elbow tripods and comfy body placement on rocky terrain, wildflowers live instantaneously. Learn that immediacy through practicing the instantaneously living just learned to walkjog toddler...the kitten newly discovering blind pull cords or a beetle that flew inside, or puppies finding treasures like carpeting pieces or slippers... Shooting these from standard standing tripod set up or sitting positions, yawn, everyone has seen a hundred or more. Shooting from your belly, now, though myriads recall seeing these angles not many see them as photos or videos.
