Slow it down

A low key long exposure black and white photograph taken over Barnegat Bay from Sunset Point in Ship Bottom, New Jersey. This photograph is marked by dark tones and strong contrast across the horizon.
Slow it down — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 361 sec

Tonight was a tease. All signs pointed toward a top notch sunset: rolling storm clouds, a clearing westward cloud deck, and even some small rainbows dancing about the horizon. The ground and houses were awash in a fierce golden light and the anticipation was on.

Heh. So much for that.

A last minute wall of clouds crept over the western sky consuming the sun some twelve minutes earlier than scheduled. This stout blockade all but assured the sky wouldn’t do its fickle light dance this night. But you know what? It worked out. My buddy Vin happened to stop by for pictures as well. Instead of seriously shooting the sunset we thought we were getting, we passed some time talking shop. In doing so I captured one 360 second long exposure photograph—the picture you see above.

For the final processed imaged I wanted to convey movement and minimalism. Black and white naturally lends itself to this aim, but I furthered the drama with a low key approach—reducing the exposure and reigning in the viewer’s eye toward the action above and below the horizon; leaving ample negative space gives the image room to breathe, naturally working the eye through the moving clouds toward the center.

If you’ve got some time be sure to check out Vin’s work!


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