Sunrise Madness
Big Swell splash at a small pier in Durban, South Africa.
My fellow shooter is at the front of the pier shooting on a GoPro for a small movie. Read more
Big Swell splash at a small pier in Durban, South Africa.
My fellow shooter is at the front of the pier shooting on a GoPro for a small movie.
Luckily the fisherman had just put on his waterproof clothing before we all got soaked! including my 5d!
Read less
My fellow shooter is at the front of the pier shooting on a GoPro for a small movie.
Luckily the fisherman had just put on his waterproof clothing before we all got soaked! including my 5d!
Read less
Apr, 2014Views
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Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
Peer Award
Superior Skill
Jaw Dropping
All Star
Exceptional Contrast
Great Find
Genius
Top Class Lighting
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AlanJakarta
May 09, 2014
Terrific well-timed shot of this dramatic moment - hope that both your 5D & your colleague's GoPro still functioned okay after their soaking. Congratulations.
SamAyres
May 09, 2014
Thanks! Yes camera is ok just needed to be dried off! go pro had waterproof housing on
francescotrimarchi
May 09, 2014
This one of my favorite shot on view bug :)
We all want to know about your 5D
We all want to know about your 5D
SamAyres
May 09, 2014
Thanks for all the comments!!! 5D Is fine thankfully!!! just needed drying and it was all ok :) The GoPro had a waterproof housing on it.
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isstoossay
May 09, 2014
Man! This shot is outstanding! Couldn't have been better- Sure hope you're insured... Good job and congrats!
akhtarkhan
May 09, 2014
Amazing splashing idea for soaking capture. like the effect of back lighting to create wonderful tonal range in the pier.........terrific capture. Congrats on the feature.
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Chasingthelight_67
May 10, 2014
Boy I love this shot. Great composition, timing and capture of drama!
maryruth2011
December 13, 2014
I can feel the water from just sitting here...superb composition! Very well done!
itsnickelwell
March 05, 2015
wow. what an amazing capture! This is truly an unreplicable photograph. Your timing was superb and the low angle makes us feel like we are there with them... Fantastic job.
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This image was shot in the humid city of Durban, which can be found on the east coast of South Africa. I am originally from the UK but moved to Durban in 2013, since then i have spent much time shooting along this awesome coastline.Time
In Durban the sun rises over the ocean, so this shot was very early in the morning, just as the sun was a little over the horizon. This image was during the winter period when the sun rises around 6 - 6:30am. In the summer sunrise times can be an eye stretching 4:30am.Lighting
As the sun rose higher into the sky the lighting was starting to become a little harsh. The high water splashing against the pier changed all this. The splashes were blocking out the sun which gave an awesome soft-box effect and really reduced the harshness of the light. The suns power was still enough to provide us with some epic colour which really made this image.Equipment
At this time I was using a Canon 5DMKIII and a 24-105mm L series lens.Inspiration
When I headed out that morning I never intended to shoot this image, I didn't even know that this pier splashed like that. I had originally planned to meet a friend at the beach front just before first light, which is what I did. After we shot the sunrise we noticed the pier on our right and the huge splash that came about as the wave hit it. Our eyes lit up and we headed over, the rest they say, is history. What we did not account for was getting absolutely soaked, this image was the biggest splash of the morning and we were wet from head to toe, even my camera got very wet!Editing
There was so much colour in this image that I didn't need to do much post-processing. I did the basic adjustments which included straightening the horizon, then touching up the lighting with exposure, contrast and saturation. I also did some minor lens corrections and then sharpened the image.In my camera bag
When shooting sunrise in Durban I normally keep it simple and as light as I can. I have a lovely Lowepro Protatic 350 AW, this fits my new Canon 5DS R and the trusty 24-105mm. I also carry with me a Fotopro M5-MINI Tripod, its very small but it holds my camera very well and its perfect for daily missions. Being in South Africa we do have a problem with crime, so keeping my bag light and gear down to a minimum helps me to move fast, especially when shooting in the city. If I am heading into the mountains for a few days I will take more gear with me, I also have a fantastic 50L Naneu hiking backpack which also comes with a smaller camera bag, this fits into the main bag or can be clipped onto the front of your body when hiking.Feedback
Well first you will need a sunrise over the ocean (or sunset) and a low pier. The rest comes down to the conditions, Its only at certain times of the year when we get certain swells and tide times that this pier creates a big splash. Most of the time it can be cloudy which sucks. I would say if you have something similar in your area, head down a few times a week and see whats happening, you will soon find out what are the best conditions. A splash like this can also be created by rocks and harbour walls which most coastal towns/cities have. A higher tide usually works best for this pier as the waves break a little later and they break right on the base of the pier. In terms of lighting, I feel the best effect and the most colour will be shortly after sunrise when the sun is starting to gain power. Too little light wont penetrate the water enough but the sun also needs to be low enough to achieve the backlit affect.
