Heart's Desire
The reflected heart in the sand through this California Cave was all my I could ever desire.
©Wendy Hudnall
All rights reserved...
Read more
The reflected heart in the sand through this California Cave was all my I could ever desire.
©Wendy Hudnall
All rights reserved
Read less
©Wendy Hudnall
All rights reserved
Read less
Jul, 2014Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in The Mountains And The Sea
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
Jaw Dropping
Great Find
All Star
Genius
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Behind The Lens
Location
This was shot at El Matador State Beach in Malibu, CaliforniaTime
Captured precisely at sunset on my birthday!Lighting
Shooting directly into the sun from inside a dark cave definitely presented a wide dynamic range. I shot two exposures to capture good detail in the brights and darks. Even with the separate exposure I'm not afraid to let bright highlights blow out slightly if that is how my eye saw them naturally in person.Equipment
Canon 5D Mk III, Canon 16-35 2.8L II, Lee Big Stopper 10 Stop ND Filter, Hoya Evo Polarizing Filter, Really Right Stuff tripod & head, remote releaseInspiration
I had been intrigued by a lot of long exposure cave shots I'd seen online but hadn't run across the typography needed to create the shot. When I stumbled across this tunnel it was much smaller than the examples I had seen but some creative camera positioning allowed me to create something with a much larger feel. I used a 10 stop ND filter to smooth out the waves and got the heart reflected in the sand as a bonus.Editing
Lightroom adjustments for capture sharpening, lens correction, and basic adjustments. Photoshop used to mask the two exposures together, adjust the mid tones & highlights and sharpen for web. Dodge & burn highlights and shadows through luminosity selections.In my camera bag
I'm a gadget girl at heart so my bag is always full. It makes me happy except when I'm climbing up that steep hill. Camera, various lenses (I'm a huge believer in renting lenses I don't own to fit whatever situation I will be in), Lee ND & grad filters (can't get enough long expo water shots), remote release, Hoodman loop, multiple flashlights, Pano head and nodal slide for panoramas, extra batteries & memory cards, extra lens cloths (I'm always loosing those) sunscreen & lip balm...small weatherproof speaker (I love music when I'm shooting but not headphones.)Feedback
Look past the initial composition for unexpected elements. The reflection in the sand that resembles a heart really makes this image for me. Also, position your camera low and tight. By positioning my camera about 9" off the sand and very close to the rocks it give the impression that this is a large cave. In actuality it wasn't much more than 3 feet high.
