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Sailboats drifting at sunrise in Dinner Key Marina, Coconut Grove Florida
Sailboats drifting at sunrise in Dinner Key Marina, Coconut Grove Florida
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Oct, 2014Views
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Top 30 rank week 1Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken from the pool deck at the Sonesta Bayfront Hotel in Coconut Grove, FL. My partner Bruce and I were displaced for a week when a nearby fire closed access to our entire condo building on South Beach. We took advantage of the Sonesta's Florida resident rate and regrouped during a life changing experience. I am processing my surroundings all the time as a photographer and is quite exciting to find new locations like this one, especially under unexpected circumstances.Time
Every morning during our stay, my partner Bruce and I would step out onto the balcony and watch the sunrise over Biscayne Bay. This particular image was taken at 7:55 AM, during a transition from sunrise to morning on our last day.Lighting
One of my favorite times to shoot is around sunrise or sunset/moonrise. Having said that, if there is a bit of cloud coverage I feel that I can engage with the light a little bit longer before the sun or moon is overpowering. Experimenting with the elements in this way becomes a fascinating endeavor as I am never quite certain what will happen.Equipment
For this shot I used the Hasselblad H4D-40 with the 100mm lens set at f/22. I balanced the camera on a ledge as the shutter was set at 1/30.Inspiration
I was inspired by life's cross sections, as well as, a place of reflection in this particular image. On the morning the fire erupted in our condo building, I was training for a new position within Apple. Bruce called me on lunch to let me know that a friend was driving him home to collect our belongings. The condo that burned was still quite hot and had also burned the main electrical feed to all units. It would take some time for repairs and permits so that we could safely return. It did not take long for me to realize that I may lose my computer, hard drive and camera equipment, my life's work. At the time we did not know how much the fire had spread. This was eye opening for me. I realized that as much as I wanted to be an instructor at Apple and pursue my artwork at the same time, it was not happening. I was spending less and less time on the art and the fire in a way showed me what to protect, what to focus on. I made the decision to submit my resignation with the full support of my fellow peers at work. During the stay at the Sonesta, I navigated through difficult emotions but every morning I was inspired by the still water, sailboats and the emerging sun that spoke to a new day. On the last morning in Coconut Grove, I was so grateful to have had the time and space to decide which direction to take.Editing
I use Phocus by Hasselblad to lightly process my images. For this photo I wanted to fill in the shadows a bit so the palm trees were not so dark, then I compensated with different settings like the contrast and recovery and the barest hint of sharpness to accentuate land far in the distance. I exported a tiff to Lightroom to clean up any little spots with their brush tool. I like all the tools found in Lightroom's developing section but clone and heal are quite important to me!In my camera bag
Inside one of two LowePro bags, a small Pro Runner 200 AW or the adventurous Vertex 200 AW, you will always find my Hasselblad H4D-40. Depending on the needs of the session–trackside at MotoGP™, on the beach or waters edge, rooftops, or cycling, trekking and strolling through nature and the city–these bags continue to impress me. My main lenses in the bag are the Hasselblad 100mm and 35mm. These two give me a great range depending on my composition. I go to the 100mm for some landscape and in situations where I want a shallow depth of field. The 35mm opens up my composition and I have discovered that if I am close enough on the track in motorcycle racing, it is an awesome panning lens! The Hasselblad 300mm and 210 with 1.7x extender have found temporary homes in my bag for prototype motorsports. I also just finished up a rental period with the Broncolor Move and MobiLEDs for a yoga shoot. Our Broncolor rental did not come with the rolling case or carry case for the power pack. I really tried to put it in my larger LowePro bag but it just wouldn't fit. . . I look forward to trying Broncolor's rolling back pack, carrying system for the power pack and perhaps a small Para. After the rental I would like to see that system in a 2nd bag a little bit more often! The Vertex 200 AW has a very nice padded slot for my MacBook Pro. It's nice to bring a larger screen on the journey. I like to tether with Hasselblad Phocus and zoom in on critical parts of an image or make some simple adjustments that everybody can see on location. It is always a lot of fun to look at the work in this way, get others engaged and collaborate more. Last, in my bag are all the little accessories; extra batteries, Western Digital Passport drive, camera cards and readers, cables and cord, my glasses, phone and wallet, business cards, cleaning cloths and cleaning fluid. It sounds like a lot and I am grateful to collaborate with my partner Bruce on many of these sessions as he is awesome with the carrying, set up and break down of equipment!Feedback
Keep an open mind towards transitions and moments as they unfold. There is no need to rush or feel as if you are going to miss something along the way, just being present, calm and focused is enough. Experiment with new methods, techniques and build from your foundation. Observe your surroundings more and imagine how you may further engage with locations as light shapes the image.
