1605_2922AB
Point Lobos State Park
California
Aug, 2016Views
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lkprint
January 04, 2017
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on a family car trip to California. The location is at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve outside of Monterey. This is a marvelous state park with a rugged and wind swept coastline.Time
This is one of my husband's favorite images because of the gloomy feel of the day. Despite this image being taken mid day, it was rainy, windy and a heavy fog bank was rolling into the inlet where this was shot.Lighting
I always try to plan my major photo trips for the rainy seasons out west -- April and the August monsoons when the clouds and lighting are naturally dramatic.Equipment
I shoot with both a Canon 70D and an old Rebel XT. My 70D had a Tamron 16-300 all-in-one lens that I love to shoot with when traveling because it is so versatile and allows me to photograph a wide range of images without changing lenses and getting the inside of my camera filthy, especially since I tend to photograph a lot of desolate locations. Since purchasing this lens I have fitted my old Rebel XT with a macro lens that I use mostly for wildflower closeups. I always shoot hand held as I just don't have the patience for lugging a tripod around.Inspiration
The inspiration for this image is a bit bizarre. I have a good friend who has been a professional photographer for many years and one of her most iconic photographs was shot in this park many years ago. I wanted to see if I could reproduce the feel she achieved and although I failed miserably at recreating her photograph I did achieve something very special of my own that has since won several awards at art shows.Editing
I balanced the tones a bit to bring out the detail in the rocks and aqua color in the water that was hidden a bit by the fog bank. I have had this image printed on metal with a silver satin finish (instead of the standard white undercoating and glossy finish) which added tremendously to the grey foggy effect.In my camera bag
I have a VERY old camera bag that a customer in a Vegas camera shop gave to me because he was purchasing a new one. It was originally designed to hold dual 35mm cameras, but works great for my two DSLRs. The bag is sturdy and huge but it holds ALL of my gear including a tripod and monopod that I can strap to the bottom (even though I never use them). It's also filled with tons of pockets that allow me to organize all my gear for easy access (lenses, filters, chargers, extra batteries, memory cards and card readers). The bag has room for a hat, cleaning supplies and an emergency medical kit, plus I have a metal water container and sunscreen strapped to the side with colorful metal carabineers. This bag goes into the car and depending on the shoot location, I pull out the items I want to carry and put them into a smaller case.Feedback
The vistas along the California coast are breathtaking. Pick a spot and spend some time there, walk and walk some more. Be grateful for having the opportunity to experience such amazing places and that will come across in the photos you take. As mentioned, I like to shoot in the rain, and in this particular case that is what created the drama at this location.
