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Feb, 2015Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Grand Haven, Michigan, USA during a storm. The lighthouse is a staple to the people of West Michigan and people flock to it throughout the year.Time
This was a huge storm that rolled in off of Lake Michigan in September of 2009. This location was actually experiencing 18-foot waves which are some of the largest seen. This particular shot was taken just before noon. The wind was a major factor as the spray from the lake and the blowing sand from the beach made it very difficult to keep the lens clear.Lighting
What intrigued me the most about this was the amazing contrast between the waves, the sky and the lighthouse.Equipment
For this shot, I used a older Nikon D70 with a 70-300mm telephoto. The image was taken at 220mm and 1/1000 sec at f/11 with an ISO of 1600. I also used a weighted-down Manfroto tripod to minimize vibrations from the wind, especially being zoomed out to 220mmInspiration
Growing up in West Michigan, I never had seen a storm produce waves like this before. I had heard from the local meteorologists that the waves would be getting large so I took the initiative and headed out to see what I could get. When I arrived, I was in awe seeing the waves crashing against the front of the lighthouse creating a wall of water. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity!Editing
After I imported the image, I needed to do a little white balancing and contrast adjustments. It looked good in color, but it felt like it needed to go further so I opted for Black & White. When i did, the image just popped! I even added just a bit more grain to the image to give it that classic look and deepened the reds down a bit to bring the lighthouses to a darker grey.In my camera bag
Nowadays, I am shooting with a Nikon D7000 and I cary the D70 as a backup. I also have a conglomerate of lenses which consist of the 70-300mm Macro, a 70-210mm f/2.8, a 28-80mm f/3.5 and an 80mm Prime f/1.8. I also carry a Nikon SB-600 flash, remote triggers, a pair of reflectors, spare SD cards and lens cleaning equipment, all of which fits nicely into one backpack.Feedback
Any time you are trying to shoot something in the rain or when the wind is high, make sure you protect your gear! sand can get into all the nooks and crannies and damage lenses and the camera itself. Also, if you need to change out your lenses, be sure to enclose your camera as best as possible. You could do this inside your coat, inside your camera bag or even in back in your vehicle if it is close enough. Just make sure you protect it and you!
