darwin

Hanalei Sunset

NIKON D700

settings

Aperture f/9 ISO 500 Shutter 1/250 Focal Length 320/10

upload_date

Mar, 2016

Views

451

Likes

+24

Awards

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Absolute Masterpiece

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken at Hanalei bay on the island of Kuaui, Hawaii.

Time

I took this photo at sunset. It was an aftershoot from my cousin's wedding and, truth be told, we got lost trying to find the pier. We were running out of time. He wanted to have photos of him and his new bride jumping off the pier into the ocean. We were starting to lose light and in order to get the shot they wanted, I had to walk out into the water holding my camera overhead (whatever you have to do to get the shot, right?). So, I got the shots I wanted and walked back to shore to dry off, however, I took a look back toward the ocean and saw these amazing rays shooting through the clouds. I thought to myself,"When am I going to see this again. Oh hell, I can dry off later". So, I adjusted my settings as fast as I could and began shooting away. Not only was I happy with the result, it also has sentimental value.

Lighting

Because it was so spontaneous, I didn't have time to think about which filters to use, etc. I had never been there before and just trusted my knowledge of manual settings with my camera. I used my good ol' 24-70mm 2.8f to take this shot....and prayed, lol. Luckily, the beauty of the sunset and it's surroundings took care of itself.

Equipment

This photo was shot with my Nikon D700 and my 24-70mm 2.8F Nikkor lens

Inspiration

It was just a beautiful accident. If I hadn't gotten lost and been there an hour earlier, I wouldn't have this shot. It wasn't planned. There was no research involved. Just plain old luck...

Editing

Honestly, there wasn't much post post needed. I created a preset in Lightroom called "Sharp and Clean". It basically just sharpens, removes noise if any, and adds a little contrast. I didn't have to warm it up or add any saturation or vibrance because it really was as gorgeous as you see it in the photo. I'd give Mother Nature most of the credit.

In my camera bag

Typically, I carry 2 Nikon 700s, 3 Nikon SB-900s, cf cards, remotes for off camera lighting, a portable softbox and diffuser, extra batteries, and of course...business cards.

Feedback

Landscapes, just like any other genres of photography, are either planned or spontaneous. One thing I can recommend is: 1) Keep your camera nearby at all times. Stick it in your trunk (just don't let anyone see you putting it in or taking it out of there). You never know when your eyes might catch something on a whim. If planning a shot, always check the weather, sunset time, and wind to see if you'll have the optimal environment you want to capture. But all in all, it's really about feeling. You see something, it's beautiful and you shoot.

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darwin

darwin

Hanalei Sunset

Behind The Lens

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