It often seems to be the case when you are at the ocean that a cloud layer comes in from the west just before sunset. That was the case when I went out to shoot near Cambria, California. An hour before sunset the clouds rolled in and there went the nice warm glow on the cliffs. Instead of hanging it up, I decided to drive back to a pier I had seen earlier. A nice pier jutting off into the ocean near Harmony, CA. I wanted to work more with long exposures (5+ sec) that night and the waves breaking at the base of the pier would work nicely.

As always, when working a subject, you should try different compositions, framing options – vertical and horizontal, abstract parts of the subject, visualize different post processing, etc. I have included just a couple of the images here from that evening shoot.

The first image is a 30 sec exposure which is what gives the water such a mysterious look – large waves really add to this effect. The blue water and sky add to the very soothing yet mysterious image where the pier draws you in.

The second image exposure time is less than that of the first, only about 8 seconds. It was timed so that the wave was receding into the ocean, creating lead in lines using the trails from the stones. There was one larger stone that I carefully placed in the frame before the wave came in.

The third image has a simple rhythm. Note that your eye is drawn to the break in the rhythm. The rule of thirds was applied here, not by placing the subject there but the absence of one (negative space). In this case, a 15 sec exposure was sufficient to smooth the water and eliminate strong distracting details in the water. The sky and water were becoming nearly one in tone as the evening came on.

Recently I was reading an article by Mark Lissick  in Outdoor Photographer. He asked a very important question – What is a camera? How would you answer? The typical answers are “a device that records an image or an object that captures light”. As Mark points out, how you view your camera can limit how you use it – does it just capture or record? As I thought about it, I realized my view of my camera has evolved over time. In the beginning I probably thought of it in the classical terms above (especially with my engineering background). However, at some point for me it became a tool or perhaps a canvas where I could paint most any image that I could imagine.

As I learned to use every control and capability of my camera I began to craft images as I visualized them in my head. I could slow down the shutter and paint moments of time on the back or canvas (sensor) of my camera creating brush strokes; I could blur out the backgrounds to create flowers floating in a sea of color; changing the focal length I could create depth. In this creative process the camera is just one of the many tools at your disposal. Reflectors, filters, lights, lens, etc. are additional tools. But as with any tool how well you know its capabilities and possibilities can limit or enhance your ability to create.

Take the time and get to really know the tools in your hands.

What is your camera for you?

Blog Images:

1. A slow shutter speed pan of the SE Oregon grasslands creating an impressionist painting of the landscape.
2. A slow shutter speed shot of flowers using the camera as a brush in circular motions.
3. A shallow depth of field to create a place a yellow flower in a sea of blue.