Santa Monica Sunsets
Memorial weekend visit to Santa Monica
Memorial weekend visit to Santa Monica
Read less
Read less
May, 2016Views
402
Likes
Awards
Member Selection Award
Summer Selection
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Top Choice
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 20 rank week 1
Top 30 rank week 1
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Santa Monica by the pier.Time
It was a gorgeous sunset on Memorial Day.Lighting
I waited until the golden hour when it was getting cooler and people were heading inside. I used a long exposure to capture the waves and used HDR processing to make the sunset colors and the lifeguard shack pop.Equipment
Canon 7D, a Canon EFS 18-135 mm lens, tripod and extended shutter speed.Inspiration
I was wanting to capture a West Coast sunset but due to the June Gloom it was practically impossible. On the last evening the sky was colorful enough to photograph. I also love to capture moving water and make it look silky and picturesque. Once I saw the sky turn I ran out with my gear and got as close to the shore as I could. I was really inspired by the guardshack and the bright colors against the contrasting sky. Since it was Memorial weekend all the shacks had American flags waving on top. It was an inspiring place to be on such a patriotic weekend.Editing
I did some simple edits after uploading such as contrast and brightness, but the most post-processing I did was HDR toning. I really wanted the sky and shack to stand out.In my camera bag
I always lug around my Canon 7D (obsessed with Canon products), Canon 18-135 mm lens, Canon macro lens, Canon wide angle, ND filter, tripod and external flash.Feedback
Timing is everything. I probably took 50 photos before I captured this one. The golden hour is such an inspiring time. The sky lights up in such vibrant colors and reflects on the water. Investing in great equipment is also a big deal. Having a steady tripod to ensure a shutter speed of over 1/40 second is important, as is a quality ND filter. I have one that can rotate from an ND3 to ND400. Its been my lifesaver when photographing moving water at different times of the day.
