Breaking Waves
Some waves braking on rocks near Sawtell, NSW, Australia
Some waves braking on rocks near Sawtell, NSW, Australia
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Apr, 2018Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo on the main beach of the sleepy sea-side town of Sawtell, just outside Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales, Australia. At the base of a headland, the surf crashes through a sandbar into a natural lagoon, with rocks guarding both sides.Time
We were out for a late afternoon stroll, on a warm summer's day in early January. I naturally took my camera as the entire area is incredibly picturesque. At the time I was more interested in playing with my new Lensball, however, the mix of the late afternoon sun and waves was a captivating sight I couldn't resist.Lighting
The incoming tide created a surf brake between two rock outcrops, raising a spray which hovered above the waves and the surrounding rocks. The late afternoon sun streamed through, sensationally lighting up the mist. It took me a few minutes of contemplation to work out the best angle to capture it.Equipment
This was shot on a Canon 600D with a Sigma 18-250 lens.Inspiration
I really wanted to capture the mysticism of the sea spray as it hovered above the surf break. It created a sense of exaggerated distance between the rocks, giving the illusion of foggy mountains stretching off into the distance. I set out to capture this effect and was really happy with the wafting spray effect.Editing
I use Adobe Lightroom to edit all my photos. For this photo, I increased the temperature slightly to create an exaggerated warmth across the image, and also cranked up the contrast to +32 and the clarity +62. Then reduced the highlights and blacks whilst increasing the shadows, and finished this off with a very faint drop on the lights and highlights on the Tone Curve. Finally, a square crop and vignette helped to frame the photo.In my camera bag
I like to travel fairly light, so I normally take my Canon 600D, with a 18-250 Sigma lens. I love the versatile range this lens offers, whilst minimising the amount of gear I have to carry, allowing me to take it pretty much everywhere. Though due to its slightly higher weight, when on a tripod, a slight blur can occur due to movement from light breezes. To counter this, I also have a light 18-55 Canon lens, allowing me to take long exposure shots. I live in the tropics of Northern Australia, so a polarized filter is a necessary, and I often carry a Lensball as a fun prop.Feedback
As every photographer will tell you, the combination between lighting and shadow is the key. For the outdoors, I find dawn the most enjoyable to photograph with its cool fresh colours, but late afternoon to dusk creates that really warm happy glow as well. A reconnaissance of the area prior to shooting is always a good idea (keeping in mind the different light angles at these times) as it gives you time to think about different creative ideas. I also like to set out with a bit of a rough plan on what I want to shoot, but always allow for versatility to do something different instead. Before taking this image, I went to photograph something different, but I stumbled across the scene by happenstance. Flexibility in what you intend to do is always key!
