Serenity by the Sea
The perfect moment to disconnect from a high paced world and meditate on the beauty of nature.
The perfect moment to disconnect from a high paced world and meditate on the beauty of nature.
Read less
Read less
Jun, 2016Views
298
Likes
Awards
Action Award
Zenith Award
Creative Winter Award
Curator's Selection
Judge Favorite
Top Shot Award 21
Legendary Award
Member Selection Award
Summer Selection
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 30 rank
Top 30 rank
Top 20 rank
Categories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken in Seychelles during my honeymoon. I am a self taught photographer, so I took thousands of pictures, out of which only a couple made it to my 'Hall of Fame'.Time
This was actually taken during the worst time of day for photography, noon time. Due to my lack of experience at the time, I was happy to get a decent and colorful picture inside my frame and an overall solid composition. I later learned that this could have looked 10 times better during sunset. I didn't know any better.Lighting
My main objective from this image was to portray what my eyes could see and make people feel what I felt. The astounding amount of color and vibrance in a single frame. The best way to do that was during a bright, sunny day that gave justice to the colors of such a heavenly place. The first time I witnessed that scene was when I didn't have my camera on me. I had to go through a few cloudy days before I could finally get that single sunny hour and I started snapping a way like my tail was on fire.Equipment
This is probably one of my personal favorite pictures ever taken. This was shot with a Canon 550D, no tripod, no flash, nothing. This picture is my own constant reminder that it is never really about the equipment you own, it is about the eye that sits behind the view finder. Don't misunderstand me, I have upgraded my gear since then, but I have never been able to match that photo, even with all my fancy schmancy, expensive gear.Inspiration
Seychelles was paradise. It overwhelms you with a sense of peace and tranquility that simply cannot be expressed with words. So, when words fail to describe what you saw to friends, what do you do? You show them instead! My challenge was not just showing what I saw, it was making people feel what I felt. So I kept on trying to project my own feelings into the shots that I took, until I nailed that 1 image that made me feel the same way. It was that *sighhhh* feeling I wanted from the image, and I think the above will speak for itself.Editing
Post processing is almost always necessary for any images taken and don't let anyone tell you otherwise! See, our eyes are a lot more complex than the camera's sensor, so the camera will always fall short of portraying an image of what you actually saw. You will always lose the colors, vibrance and maybe even some details. So, I brought back a lot of that color and vibrance, added some clarity to the image, and then gave it some vignetting in order to achieve the feeling I was going for.In my camera bag
In my camera bag, I have my Nikon D7100, with a Sigma 18 - 35 F1.8 lens which I use as a walk around lens. I also carry with me my Tokina 11 - 16 F2.8 and my nifty 50 F1.4. I also carry with me a flash, some triggers, ND filter, polarizing filters and a couple of small soft boxes that I can mount on my flash to diffuse it. I always carry extra memory cards, my cam charger and an extra battery just in case.Feedback
I have tons! Here's a few of the most important things I can think of: 1) Take as many pics as you can - try and get different frames, see what works and what doesn't. You will eventually have hundreds and will select only a couple. But that's ok, because those couple that make it through the cut, will be worth a thousand words. 2) Lighting, Lighting, Lighting - It is what turns a picture from OK to FANTASTIC. Take some time to learn about the Golden Hour and the Blue Hour. Try out different lighting situations and see what works best for you. 3) Did I mention lighting? 4) Don't be afraid to get down and dirty - Most people see at eye level. But what people are not accustomed to is seeing images from the ground, or very high up. Try different angles, lay down on your back in the middle of a sidewalk and snap that picture, you will end up turning a blah picture into one people are not accustomed to seeing, because of that angle. 5) Think about what you are trying to say in that picture. What's the story? How do the elements in your picture tell that story? 6) The gear doesn't make you a better photographer - It is your artistic sense and the amount of feeling you put into a picture that makes you a great photographer. So if you don't have the gear, don't sweat it! Just snap away and have fun with whatever you have. 7) Last, but definitely not least, it is YOU who determines whether that picture you took is beautiful or not. Some will love it, others will hate it and that's ok! People have different tastes! What matters the most is what YOU think of it. How does it make YOU feel? It is supposed to be an extension of you, does it do you justice?
