Sentinel
Jan, 2014Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in a lovely little seaside village called Kommetjie. "Slangkop Point lighthouse near Kommetjie in Cape Town is the tallest cast-iron lighthouse along South African shores. Before its lamp was officially lit in March 1919, many seafaring vessels had run afoul of the rocky coastline from Cape Town to Cape Point." The area is very popular with surfers. "Kommetjie is the epicentre of high-performance surfing on the Cape Peninsula, providing ideal conditions for surfers of all ages and abilities in a wide range of beach-breaks, points and reefs." The lighthouse is often photographed and being West facing is often accompanied by beautiful sunsets.Time
It was taken midsummer, late in the afternoon just before sunset and I was torn between processing this photo in colour or in B&W. The sky was a lovely blue.Lighting
I think in B&W, however, the opposing shapes and symmetry given by the clouds frames the image very well in B&W drawing your eye to the lighthouse. The texture of the boulders rounded by pounding surf since time immemorial helps support the composition. The lighting was all natural late afternoon sunlight.Equipment
I used a Nikon D800 Camera: lens a Nikon VR 24-120mm f/4 using an aperture of f/8.0, ISO: 100 and shutter speed: 1/500.Inspiration
The clouds created the perfect frame for the photo in this case and the soft and low late afternoon light allowed the details of the white iron lighthouse to be retained.Editing
I always use Lightroom - here with some clarity and contrast etc with a vignette and B&W conversion.In my camera bag
My Nikon 24-120mm lens is such a great carry-around lens as its sharp and has a versatile range. Usually I carry my Nikon 300mm f/4E PF ED VR as its so light and sharp. The Manfrotto tripod is always in my boot just in case. I use a Lowepro backpack.Feedback
Watch and control the highlights! With Nikon cameras, always expose for the highlights. The D800 additionally allows you to open up great detail in the shadows very effectively.
