Lost Dreams
Beautiful sunset at Anse Source d'Argent beach on la Digue in Seychelles.
Beautiful sunset at Anse Source d'Argent beach on la Digue in Seychelles.
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May, 2020Views
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Awards
Action Award
Contest Finalist in Creative Landscapes Photo Contest vol10
Contest Finalist in Creative Landscapes Photo Contest vol6
Contest Finalist in Monthly Pro Photo Contest Volume12
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Superior Skill
Virtuoso
Genius
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photograph was taken at the world-famous Anse Source D'Argent beach on La Digue island in Seychelles.Time
I scouted this location for days prior to shooting, but that day the position of the sun with some interesting clouds seemed to be simply perfect! This shot was taken March 30, 2020 at sunset 6.23pm.Lighting
The setting sun was wonderfully illuminating the granite rocks and the clouds in the sky. I was thrilled with the outcome - the fascinating clouds helped to create a strikingly balanced composition!Equipment
I used my full-frame Canon 5D Mark IV with the 16-35mm wide angle lens on a sturdy RRS tripod. To achieve silky water, I used a 6 stop ND filter.Inspiration
I visited Seychelles a year ago and found this wonderfully shaped rock. I tried to capture the sunset at this location 5 days in a row, but I was not happy with the outcome. It was either a dull cloudy day with no sun or there were no clouds and the sky looked "empty". I mastered a great composition, though! The tide played an important role, too. For this exact location, high tide worked well creating the "silky" water around the rocks. Due to the Covid-19 this year, I got 'stuck' on Seychelles for months and spend a few weeks on this beautiful island, which allowed me re-capture the desired shot. It took me a few more attempts, when finally everything worked perfectly together - the tide, the clouds, the position of the setting sun!Editing
Due to the high dynamic range of the scene, I took 5 manually bracketed images including 2 darker for the sky and the sun and 2 brighter for the rocks in the foreground. I developed the RAW images in Adobe Camera Raw adjusting the white balance, highlights, shadows and manually blended the images in Photoshop. The final steps for the blended images were adjusting the colour balance, sharpness, fine tuning selective colours especially, the red and blue.In my camera bag
Whenever I am planning to shoot outdoors, I usually carry my full-frame Canon 5D Mark IV camera with the 16-35mm wide angle lens in my bag. If there is a chance to spot wildlife, I also pack the 100-400mm lens, as I love animals! I am a big fan of long exposure shots of running water or moving clouds and therefore I always carry neutral density filters as well as a polariser in my backpack. Spare batteries, memory cards and a lens cloth are a must!Feedback
Be prepared and do the location scouting to find the right composition, before you set up your gear. For seascapes, especially if you are standing in the sand or in water, a sturdy tripod is absolutely necessary. Check the tide times, waves and the weather conditions. If you are not sure, ask the locals! There is a number of applications and web pages where you can find the tide charts for your location. Never leave your gear unattended. The waves can be very dangerous! Also think about the right protection for your gear, I use a 100% water and sand proof backpack for my camera and lenses. In this situation, the waves were splashing high up the rock, where I was sitting, I had to clean my lens from the sea spray almost after each shot. A dry and clean lens cloth is an absolute must, when taking seascape shots! To achieve the "silky" water, you will need to capture long exposures. My advice for seascapes is to always have a few neutral density filters (3,6,10 stop or similar) and a polariser in your bag.
