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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo on the stunning and tiny Mangenguey island near Coron in beautiful Palawan in the Philippines. I have travelled this amazing country for a few weeks, having been to the North Cemetery in Manila, up in the breathtaking mountain region of North Luzon and this then wrapped up one of the most fantastic trips I have made yet.Time
Having stayed on the east coast of the island I knew I had to climb around the sharp cliffs at low tide to get to the west facing beach to be able to capture this sunset. Luckily it sounds worse than it was and the stunning beach and incredible sunset was certainly worth the effort!Lighting
Since I was taking a picture directly into the sun, I needed to use a 10-stop ND filter, lowered the ISO to the max and put the aperture up to 22 which allowed me to get the long exposure I needed to get this effect on the smooth waves.Equipment
Nikon D4, Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 at 24mm, B+W 10-stop ND filter, Gitzo Traveller Tripod, shutter release.Inspiration
After my trip in the Philippines came to an end, I was looking for that final shot that would wrap up my holiday and travelling pictures. A shot that will make everyone who sees the album want to see more! I took some nice shots of the incredible Milky Way with nice palm tree foregrounds and light painting but wasn't yet satisfied. So the next evening I trekked over the island, sitting on top of the cliff, watching the sunset on the even more remote west coast. I got nice shots but yet again, I though I need something else and wanted a long exposure with some sand/rock foreground and smooth water with the sun reflection. I was wondering how to get down to this beach and found out that the only way was by climbing across the cliff and rocks at low tide.. I looked for different spots and then I saw the beautiful bright green foreground which almost became the star of the picture. A bit of effort.... but I was certainly pleased with the final image.Editing
I always shoot in RAW and then do post-processing in Lightroom, and very rarely in Photoshop. In this case I used Lightroom and did the usual colour correction, sharpening, noise reduction. I also selectively lightened up the shadows in the cliffs to get more detail in the rocks.In my camera bag
I always either travel with my Nikon D4 or D800 depending on the sort of travelling I do or assignment I am on. My Nikon 25-70mm lens is by far the most frequently and widely used and is never missing in my camera bag. I often also either take the 14-24mm or the 70-200 (with x2 converter) with me depending on the shot I am after. Then the essential lightweight Gitzo Traveller Tripod, shutter release and Circ Pol, 3-stop and 10-stop ND Grad filters. These are the essentials and are with me all the time. I also have often take the X-Rite ColorChecker with me which saves me time in post-production.Feedback
I always plan ahead and even take notes with me of shots I am after - no matter whether it is an assignment or holidays or even a random day out with the camera. This helps me to bring the right equipment. It also helps to be at the right place at the right time, facing in the right direction (i.e. east for sunrise, west for sunset to be a bit blunt). Always experiment, try to stay open-minded and look for something that makes the shot more interesting, such as a nice foreground, a natural frame, some point of interest.. we don't need to spend silly money on film anymore, so get out there and experiment! But be prepared for nature's dangers. Don't underestimate sudden weather changes when you're out there in a remote place. Just like your photography bag, yourself should be equipped accordingly too.