This image, which was very much an experiment, drew some adverse comments on the broader Nature Photographers forum. I am wondering how you of the PNWNP, who are more familiar with the locale and conditions, view this image. When you're 2000 miles from home in strange surroundings, you are often forced to make the best of conditions as you find them. This image was captured 1 hour before sunset. At 45 minutes before sunset nearly all light disappeared behind the clouds never to reappear. The sun remained concealed until below the horizon. Had I waited, there would have been no sunlight to be reflected. Cropping to eliminate the sun disk leaves one with the odd impression of wondering where the light is coming from. Hopefully, we will return to Oregon on another day when sunset conditions are better.
Posted by Jack Graham on June 28, 2008 at 11:08 PM
Patrick,
Don't feel bad you're not alone. It's happened to me many times and will again. I have learned ( though I've only been living here less than a year) to use the visible satellite available from many weather service providers to help predict the sunset. I like the reflection, but I think I'd like to see some more spacing between the rocks. I've found that sometimes not including all of them makes for a more interesting subject when you can get that spacing.
Good idea on the B& W though!
Come back ... this is a special place.
JG
Posted by Darren White on June 29, 2008 at 1:19 AM
Patrick,
it's my honest belief that no matter where you are in this world the best light generally tends to be early morning or late evening.......mid day shooting for nature/landscape artists just does not work out the for the best...
I think it would have been best to wait till the sun went down. You would be surprised how much light is filtered up through the atmosphere after the sun is below the horizon.....specially when its almost dark....set the camera on a tripod and meter for something around a minute and things start to get amazing.....the camera sensors can pick up light on long exposures that the eye can just barely see.......
The image you posted here does not work well for me.....the sun is blown horribly as is the reflection on the wet sand.....I think waiting longer would have resulted in a better image!
My comments and critiques are based on what I have learned and applied in the field from critiques i have gathered here!
How much you enjoy an image is an issue quite aside from how "good" of an image it is. And while it can be tough to separate the two, being able to do just that is critical for all photographers - for our own emotional well-being, and so that we can improve, regardless of how new or how experienced we are.
I think the comments on NPN are very valid, but their value is not in validating your opinion of the image, or in changing your mind about how you feel about this image; the value is in giving you something to consider when you next find yourself in a similar shooting situation.
One of the first images that got me really excited about photography was one very similar to this - a sunrise shot on the Maine coast, light dancing across the mottled surface of the surf, a big ol' blown out sun hovering above the horizon, coastal rocks in deep shadow with no detail. Emotionally, it was priceless - my best friend printed it at 30x40 (from a 35mm neg....) and for a long time it was a source of motivation and the standard by which I measured the success of other images. Technically, it had problems, as does this one. Its technical shortcomings, though, had no bearing on my emotional appreciation of the scene or the pride I had in my effort at the time.
So, I'd take the comments for what they are intended to be - a valuable and constructive attempt to facilitate improvement. But don't let them dilute your appreciation of the scene and the moment - it looks like it was a wonderful evening to be on the beach.
Rick, those few paragraphs should be added to the faq. Very well said.
Patrick, I always try and keep in mind that my fellow photographers are judging my photos in a vacuum. I was photographing in the grandeur of it all, experiencing the scenery through the wonders of all my senses and the beauty of the day, and they only get to use their eyes. One of the greatest skills a photographer can develop is the ability to see a scene the way someone who wasn't there will see it, and to perfect on image to a point that it doesn't matter whether they were there or not. (I have a long way to go to perfect this skill .)
Discussion
4 repliesDon't feel bad you're not alone. It's happened to me many times and will again. I have learned ( though I've only been living here less than a year) to use the visible satellite available from many weather service providers to help predict the sunset. I like the reflection, but I think I'd like to see some more spacing between the rocks. I've found that sometimes not including all of them makes for a more interesting subject when you can get that spacing.
Good idea on the B& W though!
Come back ... this is a special place.
JG
it's my honest belief that no matter where you are in this world the best light generally tends to be early morning or late evening.......mid day shooting for nature/landscape artists just does not work out the for the best...
I think it would have been best to wait till the sun went down. You would be surprised how much light is filtered up through the atmosphere after the sun is below the horizon.....specially when its almost dark....set the camera on a tripod and meter for something around a minute and things start to get amazing.....the camera sensors can pick up light on long exposures that the eye can just barely see.......
The image you posted here does not work well for me.....the sun is blown horribly as is the reflection on the wet sand.....I think waiting longer would have resulted in a better image!
My comments and critiques are based on what I have learned and applied in the field from critiques i have gathered here!
I think the comments on NPN are very valid, but their value is not in validating your opinion of the image, or in changing your mind about how you feel about this image; the value is in giving you something to consider when you next find yourself in a similar shooting situation.
One of the first images that got me really excited about photography was one very similar to this - a sunrise shot on the Maine coast, light dancing across the mottled surface of the surf, a big ol' blown out sun hovering above the horizon, coastal rocks in deep shadow with no detail. Emotionally, it was priceless - my best friend printed it at 30x40 (from a 35mm neg....) and for a long time it was a source of motivation and the standard by which I measured the success of other images. Technically, it had problems, as does this one. Its technical shortcomings, though, had no bearing on my emotional appreciation of the scene or the pride I had in my effort at the time.
So, I'd take the comments for what they are intended to be - a valuable and constructive attempt to facilitate improvement. But don't let them dilute your appreciation of the scene and the moment - it looks like it was a wonderful evening to be on the beach.
Patrick, I always try and keep in mind that my fellow photographers are judging my photos in a vacuum. I was photographing in the grandeur of it all, experiencing the scenery through the wonders of all my senses and the beauty of the day, and they only get to use their eyes. One of the greatest skills a photographer can develop is the ability to see a scene the way someone who wasn't there will see it, and to perfect on image to a point that it doesn't matter whether they were there or not. (I have a long way to go to perfect this skill