Tall Ship w- Complex Lighting
Tall Ships were coming into the port of New Orleans for this shot of the sails beginning their take-down. Love the complex lighting on the sails & sky. It a...
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Tall Ships were coming into the port of New Orleans for this shot of the sails beginning their take-down. Love the complex lighting on the sails & sky. It adds dimension for a special effect and mood.
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Apr, 2018Views
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Awards
People's Choice in Ships Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
New Orleans, Louisiana is on the Mississippi River, the setting of this shot. I was at the foot of Canal Street on the border of the French Quarter, the Mississippi River at the foot of famous Canal Street & the French Quarter. The river takes nearly a 90-degree bend right at this location as the ships came up the Mississippi from the Gulf of Mexico.Time
It was a gorgeous spring day. Few pretty clouds and mild temperatures. The ships came around the bend around 11AM. The sun was high but not harsh.Lighting
I was concerned about facing east to view the ship's arrival but it was not an issue. The light billowy clouds filtered nicely.Equipment
I chose to go the 1st day, on Friday, hoping to minimize the difficulty of crows. A tripod was not practical for this shoot as I intended to travel along the wharf for different angles and hoped to get closer once they docked for some more detailed shots. I used my one and only Nikon 5300 with a Tamron mid-range zoom that is practical for so many settings. I'm still learning to use filters so I held off as to not mess up an important shoot.Inspiration
I was anxious as I kept watch on the horizon of the river bend for the 1st sighting of the 4 Tall Ships. Planning best angles was difficult not knowing how much they would swing wide for the river currents and the final dock station. I was so thankful for my zoom. I used it almost every shot. I watched the positions of the ships as they drew closer. Testing out different compositions. Then this one with the sails still flying was horizontal in the frame, alone, with a nice background of industrial buildings (minimal wires and such/distractions) A small window of time before they lowered their sails.Editing
I love post-processing. When I begin and that free flow of creativity comes out I'm myopically focused on bringing out beauty. Beauty is an attribute that I see all around in animate and inanimate things. It's like illuminating the subject~revealing the essence. Working with light and shadow is an ongoing practice. When it clicks an awesome effect is created. That happened with this effect. I began with a B&W pre-set that used filters to modulate the light and tweaked from there a bit.In my camera bag
My size (small) and age (old) dictates that I travel light. I try to pre-plan what I will use and stay simple. Although, my Nikon Macro is tiny and light.. so it comes along with my Nikon 5300, Tamron Mid-Range Zoom, cleaning cloth. Since I'm learning filters I only take those out when I'm doing practice shots. For me to bring my Nikon Long Zoom and full tripod, I have to have a designated shoot planned out. It is a handful for me!Feedback
I make a point to stay up on events in surrounding communities. It is self-educational to shoot a variety of settings and subjects. The more varied our experiences the better our ideas on what to make the subject, how to pick one aspect, and how to highlight that. My shot made the subject the sails and the light pattern seemed to overlay. Let your subject speak to you.
