Sunset at Hvaleyri, Hafnarfjördur, Iceland
Nov, 2016Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken on the beach at Hvaleyri, Hafnarfjordur, Iceland. This spot is popular amongst photographers in Iceland, mainly due to those rounded boulders, covered with green seaweed that really shine when the sun is setting.Time
This was shot on 24th of August 2014 at 21:50 local hrs. Making a shot like this calls both for preparation and luck. I did monitor the tidal charts in advance as low tide is essential. Getting a sunset and clouds like this at the correct moment is shear luck.Lighting
Working with lighting like this is pretty difficult. I did have two options - either using strong ND Grad filter to even out tee strong sunlight in the upper part against the dark beach, or opting for bracketing my shot and create a HDR version. In the end, I chose to use Samyang 14mm manual focus for this shot which ruled out the ND Grad possibility. Bracketing for HDR version was thus my only option I tried both +/- 1 stop and +/- 2 stop bracketing and used the latter for my HDR.Equipment
My camera at this time was Canon EOS 5D MkIII with battery grip, mounted on Manfrotto 0155 tripod in portrait orientation. My lens was Samyang 14 mm f/2,8 manual lens, at that time the widest lens in my bag. For this composition I needed portrait orientation, and the 14mm was essential to get the horisontal coverage needed.Inspiration
The only real consistency in my photography through the years can best be described by "where the sea meets the land" This shot is very true to this theme and reflects one of many favorite moments where I have been all by my self at the beach during the golden hour, enjoying those solitare and magical moments when the sun sets and the dusk marks the transition between day and night.Editing
As desribed above, this shot is a HDR verions of merging three bracketed shots. In such cases I convert my raw files as 16 bit .tif in Adobe LR and open those in Nik HDR Efex plug in via PS. I go as gently as I can with the merging, in order to keep the final results as natural as possible and try to avoid overdoing. My goal is that the viewer will not realize that he or she is looking at an HDR photo.In my camera bag
In the past I have used all the Canon EOS 5D family and a wide variety of Canon and Zeiss lensesranging from 14mm to 400mm. Today I am using Canon EOS R5 and some 12 Canon and Zeiss lenses. I am also using a Fuji X-T4 as a backup camera, using all my EF lenses as well on the Fuji via Fringer Adapter. Normally I load all my lenses, my cameras, tripod and filter in the trunk of my car and then pick what I think will be best suited for my shooting at my destination /location.Feedback
Plan ahead - for shots like this one you have the privilege of scouting the location in advance. Make a list of interesting sites and don't rush - those places ar not going anywhere, you just need the perfect conditions to visit those again. Find out what time of day is best for shooting at each location. While on te spot, take your time, both for shooting and enjoying the moment. My time on location is often 1 - 3 hours, working with the ever changing light while daylight fades away. Coming home after those wonderful moments with 5 - 10 usable shots and one pretty good is all you need. If that fails, you can always say to your self: "I was there - I saw it - I enjoyed it" - and try again later on.
