Todays Catch BW
Baskets lined up on the dock.
Baskets lined up on the dock.
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Sep, 2018Views
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Awards
People's Choice in Taking Color out of the Equation Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Outstanding Creativity
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at Brady's Marina in my hometown. I enjoy photographing this marina because it is always changing and you can get different, yet interesting shots every time you visit. My cover photo "Pier of Boots" on my ViewBug page was also taken at Brady's Marina, two very different shots.Time
My favorite time of day to take photos is between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The lighting at that time always produces interesting reflections from the water at the marina and great coloring on the old buildings and piers. I was so happy that I had the day off and could actually get out and take some photos. It was a very hot day that Labor Day holiday, September 3, 2018 and the photo was taken about 4:15 p.m. Very few people were around the marina that day.Lighting
The marina is nestled down a dirt path surrounded by farm fields and trees, however, there is not much shade around the piers and boat ramp. The afternoon sun falls on the water and makes some great reflections on the boats and buildings and makes interesting shadows from all the surroundings. The sunlight at that time was making the colors of the grasses, tin roofs, tarps and buildings very vibrant and saturated.Equipment
This photograph was taken with a Nikon D5100 with a VR 18-105mm f3.5-5.6 lens. No other equipment was used.Inspiration
As I walked around the marina taking in all of the crab pots on the board walk, the pier with the baskets caught my eye. It was as if someone pulled their boat up to the pier and just unloaded the baskets of strange items in a manner that fishermen would unload their catch. As I focused on the baskets, I thought what a strange catch and I felt that it just told a story. That is what catches my attention when I am taking photos, the story that it tells. I also love black and white photographs and something about this pier and baskets screamed black and white photo.Editing
How awesome would it be if I could say that I didn't have to do any post-processing, but alas I did. Because the sunlight was still very bright, I really closed my aperture down and it was a little darker than I wanted so I adjusted the exposure up +.33. I changed it to monochrome and then adjusted the luminance and color intensity to get the tone and look I wanted. I adjusted the brightness and contrast and then decided to adjust the saturation. This deepened some of the darker areas and actually increased the detail. The last thing I adjusted was sharpening. And I always add my logo before posting.In my camera bag
My camera backpack stays packed so I can grab it and go. My camera is a Nikon D5100 and I carry several lenses, but the lenses I find myself always using are the 18-105mm, f3.5-5.6 and the Nikor 70-300mm, f4.5-5.6. Because I love to shoot landscapes and wildlife, those two lenses meet my needs right now. If I am going to be shooting indoor events I always pack my SB900 flash. I use SanDisk Ultra Plus SD cards because I also shoot video and I make sure I have 3 in my bag. Occasionally, I will pack the Nikon D7200 because it has different features and controls. When I need a tripod my SLIK tripod with a smooth panning video head works great. One of my favorite sayings is "the best camera is the one you have with you" so make the most with the equipment you have. Now my work bag is completely different. Part of my job requires me to shoot videos and photos. For that we use the Canon 7D with 18-105mm lens, also the 100-400mm lens and a 50mm lens for shooting interviews, and a Rode shotgun microphone. We always use a manfrotto tripod with the smooth panning video head.Feedback
Find an out of the way marina when you are scouting locations to shoot. The older the marina and less cared for the better, because they have more character. My favorite time to shoot at the marina is between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. that is when the lighting is best. Of course depending on the season, the lighting can be even more intense. Take your time framing your shot and take several different shots of the same thing. When looking around for something to shoot, look at different angles and think about the story it is telling. And also look at it as if it is in black and white.
