Sunset at the Peter Iredale
This photograph was captured at the shipwreck remains of the Peter Iredale, at Fort Stevens, near Astoria, Oregon.
This photograph was captured at the shipwreck remains of the Peter Iredale, at Fort Stevens, near Astoria, Oregon.
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Apr, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The Wreck if the Peter Iredale is located in Fort Stevens State Park which is located just south of Astoria, Oregon. The 3 a.m. hour of October 25, 1906 was dark, windy and cold. The 275 foot long Liverpool sailing ship was struggling toward the mouth of the Columbia River on its way to Portland, Oregon. But its 25 crew and 2 stowaways weren't destined to make it there. Heavy mists obscured the beacons of the light houses and the Columbia River light ship. Soon the fated ship ran aground, and soon it broke off its top spars. Then heavy rain squalls and a fresh westerly gale pushed it ashore, where it lies to this day, now a playground of Oregon beachcombers and children. Luckily, it is not a gloomy ship of ghosts and terror---everyone was rescued by a life-saving crew from Hammond, and later congenially housed by the men at nearby Fort Stevens. The maritime inquiry absolved the captain (master) and his mates of any wrong action in the loss of the ship. In World War II it was used as target practice by US Navy Ships.Time
Although the was a reasonably beautiful sunset, the result would have been a backlit Peter Iredale, and many more people in the photograph. Since it was an very low tide, I took a chance that a blue hour photography would yield exceptional both in regard to color and reflections. I was rewarded with the S-curve lit in an orange to magenta glow. The sky had every hue in the rainbow, and the small pool produced a beautiful reflection. The photography also has the bonus of having people at a distance viewing the blue hour beauty that most people rarely see.Lighting
As mentioned, blue period lighting is as unique, and can yield exceptional results. Under special circumstances, I often prefer the blue period (30-40 minutes after sunset) to the golden hour. It often yields muted sunsets that contain more pastel-like colors, produce wonderful reflections, often bathe higher objects in warm and unusual glows, and near water, often produce a pleasing misty look to far distant objects. All these elements are obvious in this photograph.Equipment
Fujifilm XT-1 f/2.8 ISO 200 1/40 Fujifilm 18mm Tripod Camera Timer to prevent shakeInspiration
I have been to this location at least 4 times before under different conditions, all at sunset. All previous photos were taken either during the golden hour or at sunset capturing a sun burst. This was the first time I planned the shoot at a maximum low tide, and a decision was made to take a tripod if I encountered a colorful blue hour sunset. My inspiration for this photography came from the many disappointments from previous shoots, and considerable pre-planning related to optimal potential conditions. I was on location for three days, two were totally awful, but the third was a winner.Editing
Yes, since this photo was captured in RAW, I used Photoshop ACR to color balance, set the Fujifilm standard profile, and to set the white and black point.In my camera bag
I am both a Fujifilm and a Nikon user. Since this was shot with my Fuji outfit, I will outline the Fuji set-up for a close to home shoot. The Nikon set-up is similar. I carry two bodies (now XT-2's), 14mm wide angle prime, 23mm prime, 35mm prime, 55-200mm, 3 Lexar 1000x 32GB cards, Minimum 5 charged batteries, lens cleaner, lens cloth, Filters (4x, 6x neutral density, polarizing), rocket blower, ColorChecker Passport, one extra tripod/ballhead plate.Feedback
NEVER travel without a tripod. Study past shoots of similar locations for disappointing aspects. Pre-plan shoots, an if possible stay more than one day at the location. Use an application such as The Photographer's Ephemeris at https://www.photoephemeris.com/ to project the sunlight direction, sunrise, sunset, on any day of any year. Also learn to read tide charts for optimal tides at locations where you want to shoot. This planning will reduce the variables that can defeat a good shoot. Weather and bad sunsets cannot be helped, but try and control the other factors.
