180917 waves i
Waves break at dawn on Orange Beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Waves break at dawn on Orange Beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
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Sep, 2018Views
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Contest Finalist in Seascape Wonders Photo Contest
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RickTheBruce
October 29, 2020
Fantastic shot. Assume you were using a full swim case for your camera
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Behind The Lens
Location
I made this photo at Orange Beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama. We've been going there on vacation for years. About three years ago, I started photographing the waves, but I was frustrated because I wasn't getting the results I have seen with other photographers. That's when I decided to buy a waterproof bag so I could get down in the water closer to the waves. Now, I look forward every year to going back to the beach to try and improve on what I've already done.Time
This photo was taken just after dawn. The sun was burning through the low morning clouds. I had walked down the beach to the inlet so that I wouldn't have any condos in the background. I waded out into the surf and started making photos. At first, I thought it would be better if I didn't have any people in the photo, but then I decided that they really added to the frame. I had my camera in a waterproof bag so I could get down to water level and let the waves wash over me. The light was breaking right through the waves, which I really love. My best photos are made when I catch the curl of the wave.Lighting
Dawn is the best time to shoot so I get plenty of back-lighting through the waves. In the evening, I turn and face the other way on the beach so I catch sunset light over the waves, but it never seems to work as well as my dawn wave photos.Equipment
I used a Canon 5D with a 24-70mm f2.8 lens. I taped the lens wide open at 24mm because I didn't want it to change inside the waterproof bag.Inspiration
I've seen other people make beautiful wave photos and I thought I should give it a try. I knew I really didn't need huge waves. Instead, I needed perspective. When I get down at water level, all I need is a two foot wave to make it look much larger.Editing
I can't really review my photos while the camera is in my waterproof bag, so I don't see my results until I get back to the condo and download the photos into my laptop. This particular image was a nice surprise as I started to edit. I do have to crop most of these images a little and straighten horizons. Other than that, I don't have to do much else. Sometimes water spots on the waterproof bag ruin photos. I try to eliminate spots between each photo by wiping off the waterproof bag while I'm in the water.In my camera bag
I recently retired as a newspaper photographer after 46 years at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. While I was still working, my day-to-day cameras were a Canon 1Dx with a 70-200mm f2.8 lens and a Canon 5D with a 28-70mm f2.8 lens. I really didn't need much else to do my job, so I carried these two cameras without a camera bag. Now that I have retired, I purchased two Canon R mirrorless cameras with a 100-500mm f4.5-7.1 lens and a 28-105mm f4 lens. I'm still getting used to these cameras, but so far I like the results.Feedback
Anyone could make images like my wave photos. All you need is a waterproof bag or housing. It takes quite a bit of experimenting and timing to get the best wave results. Plus, you have to be prepared to get slammed by waves that sometimes knocked me down. But, the results are worth it.
