Quiet before the storm
Aug, 2014Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken from port Sennen in Cornwall during a cool summer's evening. The area is better known as Landsend and has some breathtaking cliffs and beaches.Time
Arriving on site I discovered this spot by coincidence on my way to Landsend. Upon arrival I decided to wait for sunset to try a few long exposure shots although in every shot I did the lighting turned out wrong leaving the photo either over or under exposed. Just before leaving at around about half past ten to catch my lift with a family member back home I managed to capture this shot of a bank of storm clouds rolling into the bay.Lighting
The exposure was particularly challenging and even small variations in the the shutter speed had a big impact on the way the photo turned out.Equipment
This shot was taken using a Canon 450D with a 12 - 24mm Canon wide angle lens and a set of Lee reverse neutral density reverse graduated filters.Inspiration
My father and I who often travel to local beaches and coves along the Cornish coast happened to stumble across port Sennen one day whilst on the search for a new location. Upon arrival I decided to head for the cliffs on the way to Landsend and happened to find this location by coincidence. It took me around two and a half hours of playing with the exposure and shutter speed to create the the desired effect and this was the result.Editing
After taking the shot I used Adobe Photoshop to sharpen some of the foreground interest and to remove some of the tonal distortion created by the filter. Other than that I tried to stick as close to the original photo as possible as I don't like modifying my photos too much post-production.In my camera bag
Especially while doing landscape photography I never leave the house without my Canon 12 - 24mm wide angle lens as well as my tripod for long exposure photography. Another essential piece of kit is my set of graduated and neutral density filters which I use to balance out the lighting.Feedback
Some good advice that I got from my father is always watch your composition and make sure that the foreground makes up at least about 2/3 of the image as well as being sure to employ strong foreground interest, which will catch the eye and create a clear lead-in for the eye to follow. Contrast between the sky and foreground can be the hardest part of landscape photography and is pretty much impossible without a good set of filters to help you out so it pays to invest (the more expensive brands like Lee don't create as much tonal distortion, I find). Other than that it's important to follow your gut feeling and improvise as and when the lighting permits and finally when not be afraid of getting you're feet wet whilst doing coastal shots!
