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DMcDonald
Civilization, Meet the Ocean
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Civilization, Meet the Ocean



behind the lens badge
cameraCanon EOS M

settings Aperture f/2.0 ISO 400 Shutter 5/1 

upload_dateAug, 2014

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo near my home at the time, Flagler Beach, Florida. We were at a beach side restaurant on a clear evening. As the sun went down, I felt it'd be a good time to cross the street and get a few long exposures.

Time

This was taken in late spring around civil twilight (the time where the sun is under the horizon, but you still see light and color on the western horizon). It was pitch black to the east over the ocean with dim orange and pink hues to my west.

Lighting

By taking two identical photos and different exposure times, I was able to merge them into a photo where you could see the stars a little better, despite it not being entirely dark out. The long exposure gives the water a flat, smeared look. I pretty much had just a five minute window to make this picture just right.

Equipment

I used a small 22mm lens on my Canon EOS-M and a tripod.

Inspiration

I love night photography and astrophotography. I love Flagler Beach. It was my home for a long time. I merely wanted a night shot where I could see stars while using the glow from town to illuminate the beach and water. The sunset gave it seems depth I didn't expect.

Editing

I took two identical photos at different exposure times. Then I merged them in Photoshop. Once I did that, I copied the photo onto a layer above the original and used the dodge lighting effect to bring out the highlights.

In my camera bag

Canon cameras and lenses. Charger and extra batteries and memory cards. A flashlight and bug spray.

Feedback

A camera with good low light capabilities is key. If you follow what I did in my explanations above and commit to taking several shots with different settings, you're always bound to find a surprise. You need to have a passion for it. You may not always get the picture you want, but you will always get one you didn't expect.

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