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Pigeon Point Lighthouse 135th Anniversary Lighting
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Pigeon Point Lighthouse 135th Anniversary Lighting

by Edward Nunez

Gallery: Man & NaturePosted December 2, 20073,067 views29 comments
Every year, on the Saturday closest to November 15th, the Pigeon Point Lighthouse in California is lighted with the original fresnel lens which provides 24 beams of light from the top of the lighthouse. They turn it on for 2 hours, the first 5 minutes the lights are static and provides the best opportunity to capture it this way. After that, the light starts rotating. You have to make the best of those 5 minutes, this year the fog was really heavy on the lighthouse, and it was kind of hard to get it from far. This is my best result.

Any comments/critiques for improvement are greatly appreciated.

Nikon D200
Main Exposure: ISO200 64secs @ f/9 Blended exposure: ISO200 9secs @ f/9 for details on the top of the lighthouse.

Comments

29 comments
Comment posted by Steve Zimic on December 2, 2007 at 8:40 AM
I love the star effect from all those lenses. This is a beautiful image, but the bright fence and the fact that you did not include all of it on the bottom is a bit of a distraction for me. I think if you just darken the bottom portion of the fence to match the rest of it, you'll have a killer image.
Registered on November 23, 2003, 176 Posts, 727 Comments
Comment posted by Thomas Biggs on December 2, 2007 at 10:31 AM
An amazing image Edward!! Very nicely captured! :toast:
Registered on January 13, 2005, 310 Posts, 1257 Comments
Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on December 2, 2007 at 11:36 AM
This is stunning...I like everything about it.
Sharon
Registered on November 1, 2003, 392 Posts, 4810 Comments
Comment posted by Darren White on December 2, 2007 at 12:45 PM
I would love to hang this on my wall!!!!!.....most excellent capture.....and for 5 minutes out of the year...how many other people have this shot....

Registered on May 29, 2006, 193 Posts, 855 Comments
Comment posted by Wayne Simpson on December 2, 2007 at 7:26 PM
Probably one of the best lighthouse shots I have seen! I love the fence leading in and the light rays are super cool. Great job!

Wayne
Registered on December 11, 2006, 303 Posts, 924 Comments
Comment posted by Eric Good on December 3, 2007 at 1:11 AM
This is absolutely amazing! Definitely something I wouldn't mind seeing and capturing sometime myself. I think the only thing that would make this better is cloning out that chain link fence, if your open to that. That's the only element that looks out place to me, in such a classic image. Well seen and captured.
Registered on March 17, 2007, 116 Posts, 4764 Comments
Comment posted by Kent Staubus on December 3, 2007 at 1:53 AM
I am impressed. This is one of the more unique lighthouse photos we've seen here.


Kent in SD
Registered on November 11, 2003, 121 Posts, 2098 Comments
Comment posted by Edward Nunez on December 3, 2007 at 4:08 AM
Thanks everybody for the comments/critiques, I really appreciate it. I will try to work a bit on toning down the bottom portion of the fence. I will try next year (in those 5 mins) a different composition, and see what I can come up with. It is definitely amazing to be there in person, and see the real thing.
Registered on April 19, 2007, 65 Posts, 711 Comments
Comment posted by Michael Anderson on December 3, 2007 at 4:34 AM
Edward,

One of the finest Man and Nature shots of the entire year! Stunning shot!
Registered on January 31, 2006, 228 Posts, 3072 Comments
Comment posted by Christine Adams on December 3, 2007 at 8:30 AM
Very, VERY cool Edward!!! I love this. :wavey:
Registered on January 24, 2006, 119 Posts, 1871 Comments
Comment posted by Toni Lankerd on December 3, 2007 at 10:34 AM
Amazing capture of the lights, Edward! I've seen other images of this event, but IMO, this one tops them all! :toast:
Registered on January 3, 2005, 360 Posts, 4004 Comments
Comment posted by Keith Bauer on December 3, 2007 at 11:13 AM
This is really stunning. The beams of light add an incredible element to this image. I like the fence as a leading line. the only thing I'd do is burn the front part of the fence down to make the tones in the fence as it recedes. Lovely image
Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments
Comment posted by Linda Buckman on December 3, 2007 at 1:55 PM
This is beautiful. Whatever the fog was doing, it didn't take away from the image at all. I even like the brightness of the foreground fence. It caught my eye and then the fence led to up to the lighthouse. Great capture.

Linda
upstate NY
Registered on March 5, 2007, 12 Posts, 54 Comments
Comment posted by Wayne Jones on December 3, 2007 at 11:38 PM
Wow! This is absolutely stunning! The FG fence is a really nice touch, too. Perhaps toning it down just a hair may make be stop wondering what lit the fence so I can concentrate on the amazing beams. :toast:
Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments
Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on December 4, 2007 at 12:25 AM
Wow impressive photo Edward. The fog actually makes this much more interesting IMO. Really nice. :toast: :toast: :toast:
Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments
Comment posted by Dan Truong on December 4, 2007 at 6:23 AM
Great photo! Unique weather conditions are what make great photos. You got one there. Without the fog conditions the light rays would not have come out as distinctly.

I agree that the fence is too bright in front, looks too much like a flash.

Registered on August 7, 2006, 25 Posts, 186 Comments
Comment posted by David Weber on December 4, 2007 at 8:11 AM
Sweet photo Edward; I love it! :cool: I agree about the fence, and would say the same about the light from the large door to the side building. Regardless, this is a striking photo and quite worthy of the EP selection for the week! :jump:
Registered on February 7, 2005, 296 Posts, 2737 Comments
Comment posted by Edward Nunez on December 4, 2007 at 2:18 PM
Thanks everybody for the comments. I did not even realize it was selected as EP, given the amazing work I see here I feel this being my first EP is maybe my biggest achievement in photography so far. :-) Thanks everybody.
Registered on April 19, 2007, 65 Posts, 711 Comments
Comment posted by Brian Monk on December 4, 2007 at 4:03 PM
One of the best lighthouse shots I have ever seen, definitely ranking in the top two of my own recollection.
Registered on June 22, 2006, 109 Posts, 452 Comments
Comment posted by Melinda Dreyer on December 7, 2007 at 10:10 AM
This is amazing :eek: There's simply nothing else to say, just amazing!
Registered on September 20, 2007, 23 Posts, 43 Comments
Comment posted by Sanford Dickerson on December 7, 2007 at 4:15 PM
A terrific image! This is what "Photography" is all about. BRAVO!!!! :toast:
Registered on December 29, 2005, 19 Posts, 75 Comments
Comment posted by Edward Nunez on December 7, 2007 at 5:46 PM
Thanks everybody for the comments!
Registered on April 19, 2007, 65 Posts, 711 Comments
Comment posted by Anil Rao on December 11, 2007 at 1:58 AM
Congratulations Edward, on the EP. This is a stunning photograph.
Registered on November 15, 2003, 234 Posts, 4923 Comments
Comment posted by Alf Jacob Nilsen on December 20, 2007 at 1:54 PM
Amazing shot! Gives me plenty of ideas of how to use old lighthouses which we have plenty of here in Norway - although we miss the beams :wink: The fence just complets the shot! I just don't see how this can be improoved at all.....

Alf J
(Norway) :toast:
Registered on December 13, 2007, 23 Posts, 41 Comments
Comment posted by Dan Walters on December 20, 2007 at 10:21 PM
Great shot!
Registered on October 30, 2005, 405 Posts, 3693 Comments
Comment posted by John Zinn on December 23, 2007 at 9:10 PM
Sweet shot and a perfect combination of preparation and the right conditions (i.e. luck :smile:).

John
Registered on November 1, 2003, 41 Posts, 1743 Comments
Comment posted by Shane McDermott on January 3, 2008 at 5:03 PM
Incredible photo, everything pulls me to just keep looking!
Registered on November 12, 2007, 49 Posts, 1074 Comments
Comment posted by Eric A. Rosen on August 13, 2008 at 12:37 PM
Awesome shot...
Registered on November 1, 2003, 139 Posts, 264 Comments
Comment posted by Rodney Ninow on June 25, 2010 at 10:20 PM
Stunning!
Registered on January 11, 2009, 7 Posts, 123 Comments