Sunset At Point Cabrillo Lighthouse . . .
Point Cabrillo Lighthouse is located in Northern California, United States, between Point Arena and Cape Mendocino and has been a federal aid to navigation sinc...
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Point Cabrillo Lighthouse is located in Northern California, United States, between Point Arena and Cape Mendocino and has been a federal aid to navigation since 1909.
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Jun, 2018Views
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Awards
Contest Finalist in Lighthouse Beauty Photo Contest
People's Choice in Light House Photo Challenge
Community Choice Award
Staff Favorite
Peer Award
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Absolute Masterpiece
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
I shot this photo at the Point Cabrillo Light. The lighthouse is located in Northern California, United States between Point Arena and Cape Mendocino, just south of the community of Casper. It has been a Federal aid to navigation since 1909. It is a magical area with steep cliffs with a sheer drop off to the Pacific Ocean. The lighthouse sits just at the edge of the cliff. I arrived early so I could capture the sun setting with every color imaginable as it finally laid on the horizon. I also shot the blue hour as well.Time
This photo was taken exactly at 8:37pm on June 6, 2018. Though I stayed until 10:00pm to capture the blue hour as well.Lighting
I had my camera set to bracket 3 shots, an under exposure, an over exposure and a normal exposure. I knew to get the correct lighting I would need to have all three shots to layer in Lightroom.Equipment
This was my second time shooting with my new Nikon D5. I used a wide angle lens the Nikon ~ Nikkor 16-35mm. A Nikon remote trigger release and a Manfrotto tripod.Inspiration
My husband and I were staying in Fort Bragg, California when we stumbled across Point Cabrillo Lighthouse during the day. After speaking with the woman in the gift shop she told me we were welcome to come back to take sunset shots. Never passing up an opportunity to photograph a sunset, I drug my husband back. My husband and I own ~ Majestic Moments Photography, LLC and felt we could get some awesome photos at this location. And the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse did not let us down. We both captured some amazing photos. I look forward to going back in the fall to capture the Lighthouse in stormy weather.Editing
I always shoot in RAW, so yes post-processing was done. I first began by uploading my bracketed shots, with and under exposure, an over exposure and a normal exposure into Lightroom where I processed all three bracketed shots before exporting into Photoshop. In Photoshop I normally use the plug-ins, Nik Collection and Topaz. I am very careful as these plug-ins can introduce noise into your photo so I use them sparingly.In my camera bag
I am always equipped with two camera bags. I normally will take all of my Nikon Lenses so I am prepared for what ever comes my way. I always have my Nikon D5 and Nikon D810 bodies. As my everyday setup I use my Nikon D5 with the Nikon Nikkor 28-300mm lens. When I find a location I would like to shoot is when I decide which camera and lenses I want in my smaller backpack so I can hike with a 20 pound plus backpack on my back. I always use my tripod for evening and nightshots along with my Nikon remote trigger release so there is no movement with my camera. In my smaller backpack I always carry many different filter lenses for different effects. So those are the staples I carry, it could differ on any given shoot. FYI for any woman thinking about purchasing a Nikon D5 ~ I say do it! I took a lot of flack as many people thought the camera size was too large for me. I am a smaller woman with small hands. Yes, it is slightly heavier and slightly bigger then the Nikon D850 that just came out but since I do action shots I truly wanted the Nikon D5. And I am extremely happy with my purchase. I learned not to listen to others and go with what I truly wanted.Feedback
For anyone wanting to capture a photo of Point Cabrillo Lighthouse I would recommend looking up the weather. In Northern California along the coastline it is usually cold and fog socked in. Not great for taking photos!!!!! Be certain to select a time of year that there is a less of a chance of this. There is a huge difference between Southern California coastline were it is sunny almost everyday to Northern California where you never know what you are going to get. Be prepared to layer your clothing as the weather changes quite quickly. In Northern California along the coast it is usually always windy so using a tripod helps in taking photos like this at sunset and I would recommend a remote trigger release so there is less movement with your camera. Be flexible, if you can't get the sunset shot one day try the next. But most of all have fun and take time to enjoy the beauty because it is amazing! Best wishes to all who travel to Point Cabrillo Lighthouse.
