Land’s End Sunset
Nov, 2018Views
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Contender in the Visual Poetry Project
Winner in Travelphoto Photo Challenge
People's Choice in Favorite sea Mammals Photo Challenge
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margaretgodfrey
July 26, 2020
Great series of whale shots - something I've yet to manage to see. Congrats on people's choice :)
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jborys
November 09, 2020
Thank you so much. Cabo is definitely the place to see whales. I have been to the DR as well, but sees were so much rougher. Hard to get good shots and enjoy the ride. In Cabo, it is pure joy.
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
In the Pacific Ocean, just West of the Sea of Cortez and Land's End, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico.Time
This was taken on a warm day with a mild breeze. We had taken to the ocean while it was still quite light out and found this female and her calf just as the sun began to set.Lighting
This was one of the best sunsets I have ever seen in Cabo due to the cloud cover. Clouds are not often found here. But the clouds overhead reflected the oranges and yellows from the sun as well as lending that dark ethereal look you sometimes see before a thunderstorm. It definitely added drama to the image.Equipment
I was using a Canon 7D Mark II with an EF 70-200mm F2.8L lens. The exposure was 1/1000 sec at F/3.2 with a focal length of 70mm and an ISO of 400. The whale was quite close.Inspiration
I was looking to catch photos of a whale breaching at sunset.Editing
The light at this time of day caused a problem. I set my exposure for the whale but the sky was blown out. Shooting in raw I darkened the exposure in LR5 and then selectively brought the exposure of the whale back up. I wanted to make the photo look the way my eye remembered it and this did the trick. I also tweaked the saturation just a hair to add more of a surreal feel. Because the animal was so close the only adjustment needed in the crop department was a slight straightening of the horizon line.In my camera bag
I always have my Canon EF 70-200mm 2.8 with me as well as my Canon EF 300mm 2.8 fixed. In this shot the 70mm proved invaluable. I would not have been able to get this with the 300mm. In my bag these days, are a 1DX MKII and a 5D MKIV. Although it is too big to use on a small boat at sea, I am very fond of my Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM with a built-in 1.4x Extender. For landscapes and underwater, I love my canon 16-35mm f/2.8.Feedback
Someone once told me: "If you want to take amazing pictures, stand in front of something amazing." If you want to capture whales at sunset, I suggest you visit Cabo San Lucas and Cabo expeditions. Their boats and the men who captain them, know exactly where to put you in a position to get a great shot. Without Captain Jose and Cabo Expeditions, I would not have gotten this shot. You need someone who knows photography, the ocean, whales, and how to drive a small boat on and around them. This is a very tough combo to find.
