Cornish storm
Feb, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
Down on a little known pebble surf beach called Crackington Haven down in Cornwall. A massive storm came in over Christmas and I was lucky enough to catch it. I love trying to catch the movement and emotion in the middle of a storm. It makes you feel small and insignificant in front of the force of nature. I'd been down there before and knew it was a good surfing beach and created some good barrels.Time
It was taken around about 3 pm during winter which you could count as early evening during winter. Especially during a storm it brings the light down very quickly and gives everything a sort of bleakness especially with the harshness of the north Cornish coastline it can create a very interesting landscape.Lighting
I was lucky that the lighting was very natural and created it's own mood due to the storm and time of day. I only enhanced it slightly during post production just to help the white tops and sea mist to stand out.Equipment
For this I used my trusted Canon EOS 1100D with my Canon 18 to 55mm lens. I didn't need any other equipment other than a coat to keep it as dry as possible due to rain. I also don't like using a flash when outside and photographing landscapes as it can take away the natural ambiance of the area.Inspiration
I love seeing the raw emotion and power in the waves. It's something hard to capture and sometimes rarely seen. You have to be in the right place at the right time with the right light to see how powerful nature can be. Though what really inspired me was seeing the surfers out enjoying the swell and creating arcs of mist off their boards so I had to go out and capture it.Editing
Yes I did. I cropped it to make the composition more interesting. I experimented with the levels so the contrast between the white and grey was a bit clearer and so you can see the detail in the foam and white tops. I then adjusted the saturation slightly to help the definition either further. Finally I put a slight vignette around the edge to help guide the eye to the peak of the wave. It really helped the photo develop in to the success it it. The original was good but with the processing it really made it the best it could be.In my camera bag
In my photo bag I normally carry: my camera, the standard Canon EFS 18-55 mm lens, the EFS 55-250mm lens, a macro lens adapter, a wide angle lens adapter, a cpl filter, a UV filter, an ND4 filter, a spare battery and a spare memory card. I also carry my 6ft telescopic tripod. I find that covers enough of the bases though I would like to carry some more filter varieties to so I can do some more interesting shots.Feedback
My advice would be to find a beach that is a local surf haven (not one everyone knows about), you may need to find some locals or use a bit of trial and error to find a good beach. Go down to the beach and watch the patterns and see how the waves are forming. Then wait for a storm to come in. You will also need to research the tides and weather. Then head down when the storm and good surf hit at the same time. If the locals are raving about a good swell coming in then you might have just found it. Head on down and move about the beach, don't settle for one angle, play about. If you set up your camera on continuous shoot mode then you can set of bursts when you see a good wave coming in. Also try messing around with the settings on your camera, you never know when you might find a golden combination you never thought about before. Just remember it's a lot of trial and error until you find something that works well for you and your situation.
