_BBP167 LR
High Tide Cot Valley
High Tide Cot Valley
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Mar, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The image was taken at an amazing piece of coastline in Cornwall called Cot Valley, it is of geological significance as it is one of the only beaches in the country where the boulders are sculptural and roundedTime
5 pm 10th March 2009.....what a day to remember. I have been going to Cot Valley for donkeys years, right back to 1981 when I first moved to Cornwall and as a family we discovered this magical place. I spent long days here in the days of film, scrambling over the rocks with 5 x 4 cameras, dark slides and a trusty lightmeter. With the arrival of digital, new areas of this coastline became a bit more accessible and certainly more sheltered, so on March 10th 2009, I headed down as the forecast had predicted massive spring tides...and thanks to the power of nature, I was not disappointed. Sheltering in amongst an outcrop of rocks and looking back towards the cliffs, I hunkered down with a Nikon camera, Nikkor 300 mm lens and a singh ray variable neutral density filter and began to watch the waves being driven into the rocks by the force of the tide and the strong winds.....then it happened...a massive wave pushed into the cliffs and painted the cliff face, before rolling back over the rocks and creating the image ... 1/4 sec at f/11 with the signh ray filter on ND8 with just a subtle shaft of sunlight bringing the dark rocks to life.Lighting
Most images have that element of mystery and luck, mixed with a pinch of (hopefully) vision on behalf of the photographer, but mostly with nature..she does most of the hard work and you hope you are in a suitable place at the right time, when those elements all come together. I was very lucky with this shot, as the contrast level was just right, too much of that old sunlight and the image may have been too contrasty and the soft subtle fur coat effect would have been lost. The singh ray variable ND filter also played a big part in being able to bring the base speed exposure down in order to create the movement in the waveEquipment
Nikon D3 Nikkor 300mm f/4 Gitzo Tripod Singh Ray Variable ND filterInspiration
Cot Valley is probably one of my favourite places on the planet and having spent many years photographing here I really was looking for a dramatic shot, but with a softness and subtle element. I had often photographed this particular area and it has a natural cave, which at high tide creates a very dynamic and spectacular funnel for incoming waves, as they hit the back of the cave they are projected out in a fine fan like shape, on this particular occasion because the spring tide was so high, the waves were hitting the back of the cave and almost summersaulting over the rocks in front of it, with a long exposure I was lucky enough to be able to let this wave cascade down the rock and soften the whole imageEditing
The image has been slightly post processed in Lightroom, just to bring back a strong highlight in the water, using the highlight slider in LightroomIn my camera bag
Nikon D4s Nikkor 70-200 mm f/2.8 VRII Nikkor 16-35 mm f/4 ED VR Nikkor 60 mm f/2.8 Micro Fuji X-T1 Fuji 10-20 mm f/4 Fuji 56 mm f/1.2 Gitzo GT3541 XLS Systematic Really Right Stuff Ball Head BH-55Feedback
Sometimes the spontaneous landscape shots are all photographers can manage, light moves quickly, moments come and go and these shots can be as rewarding as the ones which you wait for hours for. It is great if you have time to research your location, remembering times of day when the light works best for your kind of shot. Even head to the location on a rainy overcast day, shoot some test shots, then watch the weather and return when the lighting conditions favour your idea of the shot. Experiment and break the rules, shoot for yourself and not necessarily follow the more classic composition. Without putting yourself at risk, find unusual places to create new angles from. And the old adage is the best camera is the one you have with you at the time. Its a bit of a cliche but Patience, research and planning, together with preparation and luck go a long way to helping you to get shots. Good glass in my personal opinion is more important than the camera. Most of all have fun, keep safe and enjoy every picture taking opportunity
