Waves Ucluelet BC
Apr, 2016Views
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joycealicesmith
April 17, 2016
Beautiful!! The west coast of the Island is such a photographer's paradise! :-)
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on March 22, 2016 on the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet British Columbia. This area is known as the graveyard of the Pacific because the turbulent waters and rugged rocky coastline have claimed many ships. This shot was taken near the lighthouse where the waves crash dramatically against the shore even on a calm day.Time
This photo was taken in the early afternoon at 12:58pm in early spring. It had been raining on and off and this shot was taken when there was a break in the clouds.Lighting
This is shot in natural light. It had been raining on and off and the sky had some dark and moody spots but the break in the clouds let the sunshine highlight the ocean spray. This made a good contrast to the dark blue sea. The high sun gave good detail and texture to the sharp craggy rocks.Equipment
This handheld shot was taken with a Nikon d5500 and a 55-300mm f4.5-5.6 lens. It was shot with a shutter speed of 1/500 sec., an aperture of f11 and a focal length of 86mm. No flash, tripod or other equipment was used.Inspiration
The rugged west coast of Vancouver Island is one of my favourite places to take photos. I was inspired to take this shot because I was moved by the immense power of the ocean crashing on the shore. I noticed that the shape of the spray mimicked the shape of the rocks in the foreground. I liked the layering and contrast of the rocks against the sea, and the sea against the sky. I thought these layers made a great background for the bright crashing waves.Editing
This photo has minimal post processing. I cropped this shot to exclude a shoreline rock I found distracting. I also adjusted the brightness and contrast slightly.In my camera bag
I like to shoot in places that make changing lenses undesirable. For that reason I usually carry 2 cameras, a Nikon d5500 and my older Nikon d90. I carry a 55-300mm f4.5-5.6 Nikon lens, a Nikon 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 lens and a 70-300mm f4-5.6 Nikon lens. I also carry neutral density filters, a tripod and a remote release. I customize the lenses and cameras depending on where and what I will be shooting. I carry my cameras on quick release clips on my pack so they are easily accessed and switched as the situation demands.Feedback
When taking this shot I took time to pay attention to the pattern of the waves crashing into the shore. I had heard that in this area every fourth wave was the biggest. I also noticed that the waves were more dramatic when they first hit rocks further off shore. I counted the waves and timed my shot. I had noticed that the ocean spray mimicked the shape of the rocks in the foreground of the shot and thought the pattern made the shot more interesting. I had the ISO at 200 because it was fairly bright. The weather in this area changes quickly so having patience and spending time observing can be rewarding. I moved around and changed the level I was at to align the background and the waves. I also timed the shot so that the power of the undertow can be seen as the wave advances.
