Point Pinos Sunset
Sunset panorama shot on the shoreline at Point Pinos in Pacific Grove, California.
Sunset panorama shot on the shoreline at Point Pinos in Pacific Grove, California.
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Dec, 2016Views
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Awards
People's Choice in Sunset/Sunrise Panoramic Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was taken at the top of the beach at Point Pinos in Pacific Grove, California USA. The whole coastline there is rocks, waves, sand and beauty. The image was made in November, around Thanksgiving. I was fortunate enough to have been invited to house-sit for friends while they were in Oahu. I spent two and a half weeks photographing the central California coastline.Time
This was one of the best evenings that I experienced while on my visit. The sky at sunset literally was on fire and the tide was out, exposing the amazing rocks to my camera. There was a line of clouds to the north but the sun was still exposed as it set in the southwest.Lighting
As you can imagine, getting a balanced shot while shooting toward the setting sun can be difficult. For this image I used a .9 hard grad ND filter for the sky and still needed to lighten the foreground in Lightroom afterwards.Equipment
This image was photographed with a Nikon D810, Tamron 15-30mm wide angle lens with a Lee Filter Adaptor attached to the front of the lens. I use a Really Right Stuff carbon fiber tripod (THC-44L) and ballhead (BH-55) for a sturdy platform. The settings were f/22, iso 64, 15mm, and a 3 second exposure using a remote wireless trigger to minimize camera shudder.Inspiration
This was the third evening that I had been out walking this beach from Asilomar to the Point Pinos Lighthouse. Every evening had been beautiful but there was something really special about the sky that evening. I knew the rocks would be exposed and the the ocean was the calmest it had been for days. All in all I knew this was a chance for a great image.Editing
Let's face it, RAW files always need a certain amount of post-processing and this image was no exception. Although I had used an ND filter for the sky I still had to lighten the foreground of the image to bring out the range of light that could be seen with the human eye. I also warmed the image slightly to offset the slight cooling effect of the filter used. The last steps are removing noise and a slight high pass filter (3) to crisp up the details.In my camera bag
What I carry in my travel bag and what I carry in my SUV are two completely different things of course. This trip was on the opposite side of the country from where I live (Western NY) so everything has to fit in my backpack. I always pack the tripod in my suitcase, although I also have a smaller Gitzo Mountaineer tripod for occasions where I don't need a suitcase. This year I lightened my load by adding the Sony a7R II system to replace the weight of the Nikon D810 and it's lenses. I carry the trinity of lenses, 16-35 and 24-70 Sony Vario-Tessar lenses and the Sony 70-300. I also carry the Venus 12mm. It is a really high quality, for the money manual focus lens that is fun for creative shots.Feedback
I love photographing ocean and seashore locations. In addition to using the usual apps to know sunrise/sunset locations and times it is also helpful to know high and low tide schedules and how they effect the location you choose to photograph. Homework is always key to knowing what to expect. This doesn't mean that you can't get good images just by chance, but it's great to maximize your opportunities for that one "stunning" image. The ocean is both calming and dynamic so make the most of what you are given.
