Wayward
This was two years in the making to get the right conditions. It involved climbing a vertical ladder onto the narrow sea wall and standing precariously beside m...
Read more
This was two years in the making to get the right conditions. It involved climbing a vertical ladder onto the narrow sea wall and standing precariously beside my tripod to get the shot.
Read less
Read less
Mar, 2019Views
9489
Likes
Awards
Chatter Award
Zenith Award
Top Shot Award 21
Spring 21 Award
Legendary Award
Judge Favorite
2020 Choice Award
Elite
9Teen Award
Lucky 3 Award
Celebrity Award
Contest Finalist in Image Of The Month Photo Contest Vol 43
Curator's Choice
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
All Star
Genius
Virtuoso
Top Ranks
Top 20 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 20 rankTop 10 rank week 1
Top 10 rank
Categories
Cali_Wine_Fan
April 21, 2019
Well, those two years of this photo coming together were definitely worth the wait. Wonderful shot!
PRO+
robbish_uk
May 02, 2019
A great shot from my village, I must give this a go. Great composition, technique and lighting.
Platinum
PRO+
nuevamonica
August 02, 2019
Lo bueno, se hace esperar. Qué gran toma! Valió la pena el peligro y todo lo que implicó esta toma! Felicitaciones!
Ultimate
Platinum
PRO
PRO+
Ultimate
Platinum
Ultimate
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This is the very unusual sea defence at St Monan's in Fife, Scotland. It really is one of a kind and its wayward zig zags inspired my title for it. This is a very long distance from my home so chances for me to photograph it are very rare. So you pretty much have to accept whatever the weather is doing on the day. I had been here on an earlier trip but was beaten off by a severe gale and wild waves that made getting anywhere near it way too dangerous. So I had to wait for another 2 years for a chance to visit itTime
I was leaving the North of Scotland and timed my journey to arrive at high tide, which was mid morning. You have to be very careful when gaining this viewpoint. There is a walk down the first pier which has a wall taller than myself hiding any rogue waves that can flood over the top of it and give you an unexpected soaking. Then you have to climb some iron rails set in the wall to reach the top of the wall. There is just enough width to set a tripod up, but you have to stand at the side of it and lean over to your camera to frame the shot. There is also a good drop beneath you, so caution is key.Lighting
There were frequent showers and the sun was fleeting between them. I was hoping for a Long Exposure of a minute, but the frequent sea spray made that impossible, so I doubled my ISO and halved my exposure to 30 secs. I cleaned my filters, again! and covered them with a cloth and waited for the sun to light the sea defence before taking my shot. Storm light is always dramatic and well suited to mono work. The dark skies and the searing sunlight gave some stunning light, and the wet wall sparkled in it.Equipment
I used a Canon 5D Mk3 with 17-40mm f/4 USM lens at 19mm, ISO 200, 30 secs at f/11. Giottos carbon fibre tripod with Manfrotto geared head. Filters used were a Lee 10 stop ND with Lee 0.6 Grad. A remote cable timer was used.Inspiration
I had heard about this sea defence and had found it on google maps satellite view. It was the uniqueness of it zig zag shape that immediately drew me to it, and I knew then that I had to visit it at some point.Editing
Because of the frequent sea spray & rain on my filters I could not get a clean shot of the entire image, so I combined two shots that had a clean sky and one that had a clean sea defence. I also added a soft haze on the horizon, so that the sharp lines of the zig zag were prominent. After that some dodge & burning was used enhance the high contrast areas near the centre.In my camera bag
Nowadays I am using a Sony A7r Mk3 with the Sony 24-105mm, which is a stunningly sharp and adaptable lens. I always have my Lee filters with me, which comprise of a 10, 6 & 2 stop ND, and a .9 & .6 Grad. I use a 3rd party cable timer to time my long exposure shots. My favourite tripod is the lightweight Giottos carbon fibre, and I love my Manfotto geared head because of its ease of use for framing my shots. I also keep a Sony RX100 mk2 in my pocket for quick shots that don't give me time to unpack my other gear.Feedback
When planning any shots at the coast you must know your tide times, and what state of tide that suits your subject. I always put safety foremost and prefer to abort and return at a later date if conditions are against me. Be adaptable to the conditions and change your style to suit. Know how to get the best out of your camera and lens before you go.
