Greg Molyneux Photography

New Jersey landscape and nature photography

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On Second Thought

November 29, 2015 by Greg Molyneux

Square format landscape photograph of phragmites and Barnegat Bay at blue hour

On Second Thought — 14mm | f/8 | ISO 100 | EXP 0.6 sec

Sometimes your shoot won’t go exactly as planned. This is OK. This afternoon my buddy Jon and I were hoping for some sunset drama. As it does the big time boom or bust sunsets ride a razor’s edge of yay or nay. Today it missed. It happens.

Walking back to the car and at peace with said miss, my eyes quickly looked north to find sweeping blue clouds. Then downward to the illuminated houses out on the horizon; finally setting on the phragmites up in the foreground. The blue hour tones were soothing and the contour line of the jetty rock perfectly aligned with the left to right swoop up in the clouds. With a few clicks of the tripod this entire process was over and done with within a span of 20 seconds. Sometimes shots happen fast. At home in post processing I opted on the square format display ratio, deciding it tightened the overall composition.

In their own way I hold a fondness for shoots like tonight. It’s a good test for the eye to come up with something else when your plan falls through. It’s a useful exercise in staying open to new possibilities, and as an added benefit the time crunch of fading light gets you to work fast relying on instinct.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 14mm barnegat bay blue hour harvey cedars sunset park landscape long beach island phragmites square format

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Photos from the archives

Winter sunset colors and clouds rolling in from the west, dramatically backdropping Antoinetta's restaurant over Manahawkin Bay in this HDR photograph.
Wide angle winter sunset photo made over tranquil salt marsh.
An HDR photograph of Barnegat Lighthouse taken from the jetty rock at blue hour overlooking majestic pastel clouds over Barnegat Bay.
Golden hour landscape photo over creek and wooden bridge.
HDR photograph taken at Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area featuring a fiery sunset offset by a few blowing blades of golden marsh grass in the foreground. The grasses look touched by sunlight.

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