Steps To Where
Where are they going
Where are they going
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Sep, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
The photo was taken at Batts Rock Beach in the parish of St James, BarbadosTime
These steps are often totally buried under the sand and are only visible during extreme low tide situations. It takes a fair amount of planning, and of course luck, to have the opportunity to capture them. This shot was taken at sunset just after the sun had fallen below the horizon and the golden glow of the rays began to reflect on the clouds.Lighting
Timing is everything, especially with seascape images. As noted, this shot was taken when the Sun had fallen below the horizon and the residual light was still casting a glow on the clouds. This was perfect because the light was soft, but still had the golden colour needed to offset the dark blue of the ocean.Equipment
The primary equipment for this type of shooting is a sturdy tripod, a selection of neutral density filters, a remote shutter release (cable or infrared )and some method of supporting the tripod when the sand starts to shift. In most instances the tripod is going to be placed very close to where the surf meets the sand and, with the tide rolling in and out, the tripod can become unstable (not good for long exposures). The best method I have found for counteracting this is to use some old Compact Discs (CDs) placed under each leg of the tripod.Inspiration
I was drawn to the mystery of the steps leading into the sea. The image always brings out the "Why?" The use of a neutral density filter to smooth out the waves was in order to remove the busy nature of the wave motion and to add a bit more mystery to the scene.Editing
The first pass was done in Lightroom to work on the global adjustments (exposure, contrast, shadows etc). The second pass was in Luminar 4 for color adjustments. The final pass was back in Lightroom to resolve a few issues with the sky and a few local adjustments to the bring out the detail in the steps and shore line.In my camera bag
Sony A7RIII, 16-35mm lens, 24-85mm lens, 70-200mm lens , ICE neutral density filters, Cable release, Cleaning cloths, Flash Light, Spare Battery, Used CDs, Vanguard Tripod with Ball head and Arca Swiss plate . Thats about it.Feedback
Scout your location in all types of light (Day, evening etc.). Visit the location numerous times because the shooting conditions will be different each time and the light will be different each time. Do not be upset if you don't get the image you are looking for at once. It can take months or years for the perfect conditions to come along. Above all be patient and enjoy being outdoors.
