Sunset Rock (a pretty picture)

I was out on the coast again last night to take in a great sunset while my girlfriend, Annie (an art teacher) came along and made strange, elaborate beach art. While she was composing some abstract driftwood, kelp and rock sculpture, I was out on the headlands sitting on some amazingly sharp rocks composing this. Hope you like it.

5D, 3-stop ND grad, 1/4 sec. at F16, ISO 100.

A very pretty picture.

I'm curious to see one of your gf's abstract art compositions...

Marc,
I think you would have to agree it's hard getting overly excited with this shot after seeing all your other ocean shots. I'm not saying it's bad, it just doesn't have the dynamics as your others.

Very nice Marc as always. I would be jealous to have this in my portfolio, but I agree with Erik that some of you others have a bit more interest in the fg.

Lack of foreground, yes. But it certainly has dynamics! Splashing wave, sunburst behind towering sea cliffs, dramatic sky, illuminated rocks. There's probably even too much going on here. But I agree, I'm not really feeling the composition in this one like some of my others. I just didn't have anything else to work with on this evening as far as traditional landscape compositions go. I've had that problem almost every time I've visited Ecola for some reason.

Sometimes Marc, you just do TOO well. I think that's the problem here, I can't find a COI, because there are just too many cool things happening. Rough seas, sunbeams, a silky wave, and some nice glowing rocks in the FG among others. I might wager I would like it more with a dull overcast sky, but I can't be sure.

I feel like you may have slipped in to my flawed photo method here in which I go somewhere, say, ohhh pretty, point the camera in the direction and snap away without thinking about it much.

But it's still better than 99% of my beach shots

Marc,
Those dynamics are certainly there but not as forthcoming(for lack of a better word). The sky, the spray, and the ray are there but IMHO a lot less striking. If this image was presented to me without seeing your other ocean shots, It probably would be high on my spike meter.

Andy, I agree mostly, but believe me. Saying oh - pretty and pointing the camera at it is the last thing I did. I knew the beach I wanted to visit, waited for low tides to allign with sunset, and got there three hours early and logged several miles trying to previsualize compositions before deciding on this spot.

I wonder if the wave interrupts the foreground/background flow a little too much? In this version it was less intrusive.


Tomorrow I'll post something completely unique and different from Ecola

I really like this second version. I think the darker rock on the bottom really anchors the scene better.

Marc, I'd be happy having taken either one. But as mentioned previously, it is not up to your usual. You set the bar really high dude!

Damn. I knew I shouldn't have set the bar that high. Now what am I going to do.....

#2 is a little better - part of the issue with #1 is you kind of see the spray but not in a clear way (which you have nailed in the past). The rocks at the very bottom of #2 do help in some way also for me.

I like #2 better, seems there is more separation between the layers of depth here.

Both are sweet images, but I prefer the second. I got to spend a few days here last June, but didn't get to see the sun once. Hopefully this summer will be a little different.

The second one is better...both are attractive. Not magical...but not a throw away either.

You know...I can help you. You can borrow some of my wonderful shots and post them as your own. That would lower your bar quite a bit

I still love to try and grab the awesome shot...but when I dont get them, it makes those rare, magical moments mean more...but just to me, mostly.