How I Created The Shot:

Last week I had a chance to spend the afternoon at one of my favorite beaches, 4 Mile Beach.

It was a couple of hours before sunset, and I was looking for a unique composition to photograph. I fell in love with the flow of this rock formation extending from the cliffs out to the ocean. I spent about a half hour composing shots from different angles, but the light had become flat, and for some reason, I was feeling uninspired.

I put my camera down, closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to reconnect myself to my surroundings. After a few moments passed, I suddenly could see the image in my head, and I knew just what I needed to do to make it happen.

I chose a composition that would use this textured edge of the wall as the foreground, and then the natural curve of the rocks to lead the eye towards the setting sun.

The sun was going to descend below the clouds and brighten up the scene. It would still be behind a thin layer of clouds which would act as a diffuser and soften some of the harsh light.

I would add a neutral density filter to my 24MM lens to slow down the shutter speed so I could create a blurry movement of the waves as they washed ashore. This part would be the most difficult because the flow of the waves had to be just right: a soft, calm, sweeping blur that would give the photo a soothing feeling.

If I could capture the movement of the water as intended, you would be able to see the sunlight reflecting on the water, which would help draw the eye to the picture.

I dialed in my composition and placed my camera on a tripod. When the sun reached the right place in the sky and I could see a reflection in the water, I began timing the waves and pressing the shutter at what I considered to be the best moments. After a few shots, I captured this image, my favorite from the afternoon.

I titled this picture Quiescence.

Technical Stuff:

Canon 5D Mark III / 24MM TS Lens / ISO 100 / f-16 / Exposure 1.6 sec / ND Filter / Tripod

Quote of the Week:

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”
— Aaron Siskind

Want to see how "Quiescence" would look on your wall?

Click on the image. After the new page loads, click on the Wall Preview feature to how it would look in your home or office.