It was a complicated sky
Ghajn Tuffieha Beach - one of Malta's most picturesque beaches facing the setting sun and often a place to go and view some stunning sunsets....
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Ghajn Tuffieha Beach - one of Malta's most picturesque beaches facing the setting sun and often a place to go and view some stunning sunsets.
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Jul, 2016Views
559
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Awards
Top Choice
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
All Star
Outstanding Creativity
Magnificent Capture
Superior Skill
Top Ranks
Top 10 rankTop 10 rank week 2Top 10 rank week 1Categories
tessamercieca
November 05, 2016
This is such an amazing shot Mike... the colours, reflections, shimmer on the sand....just awesome. Well done on the award :)
mikegatt
November 06, 2016
Hi Tess, :-) Thanks for the kind comments.. I was quite luck with the fact the nature provided me with such a beaut of a scene!
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This is one of Malta's favourite sandy beaches known as Golden Bay due to the golden coloured sand.Time
It was a late winter afternoon - about 4.30pm. I had been walking around the area known as Ghajn Tuffieha (literally translated into Apple Spring) and was mesmerised by the intricate patterns created by the clouds. I've always found sun flares quite an attractive feature in photography when done properly and thought that the combination of cloud and sun would give me a neat sun flare effect. I am quite pleased with the outcome and think I managed to get close to what I was aiming for.Lighting
They always say - 'Do not point the camera straight at the sun' and they are perfectly correct in saying that, so anyone trying a shot like this please do be careful. On the photo itself, the combination of cold winter sunlight, the clouds & the golden hue of the sand produced some clean lighting for me. I have always much preferred natural light and if possible will avoid using any flash or other form of lighting, however a reflector does come in handy.Equipment
This image was shot with a Nikon D5500 and Nikkor 18-200mm 1:3.5-5.6 G ED lens with a radial polariser attached. No tripod or flash used.Inspiration
It was definitely the sky! Walking around Ghajn Tuffieha & Golden Bay area seeing this wonderful sky and the contrasting sands was inspiration just crying out at me. There is something about skies like these and the patterns that clouds sketch into the sky - a fleeting work-of art that can be gone that very second your eyes registered it - that has always drawn my eyes upwards.Editing
Post-processing was done - it is not something to be ashamed of. Actually I see it as part of the creative process. In this case I start off by cleaning up the image, removing any dust spots and noise. After that I use curves and layers to enhance contrast, bring out the shadows and reduce highlights.In my camera bag
My bag - ok so I have a Nikon D80 which I have had for some 10 years and is still a trusty tool which would usually have a Sigma 105mm 1:2.8 DG Macro lens affixed. With that goes the D5500 with a Nikkor 18-200mm 1:3.5-5.6 G ED lens - a perfect all purpose lens. In the bag I also have a Nikkor 40mm Macro lens. A number of spare sd cards and a number of spare charged batteries for both camera, and also a packet of pencil batteries as replacement batteries for my flash - which have probably been there for years now since I rarely use the flash. A spare UV filter and a close up filter (though I dont think I ever used it). Along with that I have various lens cloths and other types of cloths for various jobs - a torch - a biro and a small notebook - and usb spare cables.Feedback
First off... be ready to walk, to roam and to wander. Secondly - patience but also an eye for detail and a deft handling of your camera. Last thing you want to do is lose that perfect shot while you fiddle with the controls to get the exposure right. Photography is an expedition - a journey of discovery. As mentioned earlier - be careful if shooting directly at the sun - you can easily damage your eyes if not careful. The clouds here helped reduce the bright glare so the sunlight was somewhat diffused. In shots like this I think its a split second decision of what you really want to try to capture - the longer you dawdle the higher the chance that you'll miss that perfect moment. Finally, always be aware of the full frame of your image. How often is it that a perfect shot loses its appeal due to a distracting branch poking through the edge of the photo.
