A few thoughts from tonight’s shoot:
September continues to prove itself a great month for photographs.
Just about everything was different with tonight’s shoot. For whatever reason I hopped out of the car, scanned the scene, and decided today would be a good day for shooting with my 40mm. It’s not too often I shoot landscape with my 40mm pancake, and considering today’s results I’d do best to work it into the landscape/sunset rotation on the regular. Seriously, this is the work of three bracketed shots—handheld no less—on a prime lens that costs a little over $100! I can’t recommend it enough, especially for the full frame shooters out there.
The other departure from the norm, aside from ditching the tripod and bailing on my usual manual focusing with my 14mm, came from Mother Nature herself. More often than not—it unscientifically feels greater than 90% in my experience—the optimal color range occurs after the sun goes down. By the time I grabbed my tripod, switched to my 14mm, and waited for the sun to sink below horizontal, the best light had come and gone. It was my 40 and my bare hands that made it work tonight. Photography is never without surprises.
Wherever possible I try to get my photos on the computer and processed with little time wasted. Doing so closes out my mental workflow. In a relatively short period of time I’m able to produce something tangible (digitally speaking) to share with you. I, in turn, get to let go and immediately transition my brain to the next shot. Photography is liberating in this way: I build an online archive to record my evolution, quite literally storing the past, to do my remembering for me. Perhaps it’s not without irony that this virtual memory bank releases me to quickly and naturally forget. My past work goes out with the old—paving the way for the new. To chasing the better shot. To knowing I have to be there, at all times, ready to shoot, over and over again; committed to waiting out that perfect light I’ve been chasing for years. Anticipating that future pay-off is what drives this passion of mine. Pushing me ever forward with my craft.
How does this relate to this shot? This is a holdover from last week. Taken on the Eleventh of September. It’s hung with me for a while. I attended my cousin’s wedding (a lovely affair) this weekend, and with the travel schedule this post went by the wayside. Thinking back to that day last week, 9/11, I did my best to reconcile this day. Its meaning. The mighty weight that comes with it. It’s an open wound for us all, and a thousand fold for all our brothers and sisters directly affected.
It’s impossible to find words, at least for me, that do any justice with respect to that day. The best I can do is continue to hope the world manages to find its way and work toward a more perfect future. One where future generations can look back with incredulity at how petty our differences once were. In the meantime, all the best forever and always to the victims, first responders, and family and friends to all who were dealt such senseless wrath.
… and leaves us in awe.
I’m certainly glad I made it over to Sunset Point in Ship Bottom, New Jersey for what turned out to be some top shelf sunsetting action. There were plenty other revelers to take in the visual mastery, too. Related: I was most pleased to see those in attendance hang out with their cellphone cameras for the pastel explosion that came about 10 minutes after sunset. They were rewarded for their patience. All too often I see other photographers get in there car and leave moments before the color takes it up a notch.
Tonight was a perfect example. What started out as 50/50 with a chance of being clouded out turned into one of the better sunsets I’ve seen. I’ve lucked out twice this week. I am not complaining.
Thank you, Mother Nature. I am one shimmying fool.
It’s been a long time, man (and women and boys and girls). Sunsets have been alluding me for the better part of Summer. That certainly changed with a flourish today. As I was down on Dock Road shooting I honestly didn’t know what direction to fix my tripod. With three hundred and sixty degrees of awesomesauce happening it was damn hard to choose.
In the end I went a few I my favorite things: I was able to get the octagon house in the shot and the Moon. Excellent. Seriously though, this one is all on happenstance. The sky produced with unreal cloud patterns and color this day. All I had to do was show up.
After an afternoon palling around with Jon and cousin Dan—a jaunt that included a surprise bridal shower drop-off, some tasty burgers, cigars and some bayside Weiβe bier Quelle style—we made our way to Sunset Park in Surf City, New Jersey, for sunset. The place was happening (always nice to see); young and old, Long Beach Island revelers were out in force to pay homage as we spin from the sun.
Looking back it wasn’t the most spectacular of sunsets, however there was such a subtle late summer calm to the whole scene. Using the park bench in the foreground speaks the perfect narrative for a shore community and a landscape that has brought such great memories to so many. As we prepare to say goodbye to another summer we can’t forget to stop, breathe, take it all in and sit for a moment.
Finally, folks. Finally
I’ve been in some kind of sunset slump. Whether by poor scheduling or just busted weather conditions, it’s been months since I’ve caught me a quality sundown. Somehow tonight my spider sense was tingling.
During my commute home I was noticing some promising cloud development and decided to bail on my evening run. Somewhat hesitant in my decision, I got home, packed my things and made for my old standby: Dock Road. As pine forest gave way to sweet salt marsh the horizons opened up before me; I knew my slump was over. Drama was written the sky over and there I was to take it all in. Camera in hand. Finally.
Interestingly, the photograph I wound up posting was not one of the shots I originally had in mind for a final product. I assumed I was going to go with one of the bracketed exposure sets that came about 7 minutes after sun went down, as is the my norm. Instead I went with a shot featuring the sun still with us. It just goes to show that you can’t always go with your assumptions (and the back of your viewfinder). You’ve get to get home, upload and take it all in. Let your photographs speak for themselves.
A few weeks back I spent the week away on the left coast. It was my second time. Leaving Eastwatch by the Sea it’s still strange to watch the sun set over the ocean. Rising it what I’m used to. Clearly I don’t get out much.
While I was staying with good friends in Huntington Beach, California, I did a whole bunch of nothing—and it was everything I hoped it could be. Aside from a round a disc golf (first time and it was excellent) and a two hour jaunt on some trails in Crystal Cove, chilling out relaxing was the order of the day(s).
As I was packing for the trip I hemmed and hawed over bringing my camera and requisite gear. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to use the camera all that much and have been challenging myself to pack lighter and lighter. When push came to shove I gave in and brought the gear. In retrospect leaving my equipment at home would have been the way to go. It wasn’t until the last day of vacation that I even took my camera out of the bag; and even then it was only for a couple dozen pictures. I just wasn’t feeling it, and let’s face it, I’m note sure I saw a cloud the whole week out there.
I’ve come to notice it’s a big struggle for me to find interesting subject matter when I’m not familiar with the surroundings. In the absence of having good locales scoped out I just don’t know what to do. As something of a landscape photographer this is clearly problematic. The obvious suggests I need to get out and explore more, but my homebody sensibilities serve as a real barrier to entry. It’s always something.
Photographing the salt marsh is not without trade-offs. In winter deep color sunsets rendered almost daily reign supreme; while in summer, the rich awakening of lush green marsh grass tells our eyes all they need to know that summer is here. Each are splendid in their own way.
Tonight was my first night shooting wide angle in what feels like ages, and I haven’t been to Dock Road in I can’t remember how long. Let’s put it this way, last I laid eyes on the marsh it was only showing the slightest hint of nascent green spread thinly over the muted expense. Seeing the rolling green tonight was invigorating. And while I wound up clouded out of a promising sunset, I still captured an enticing glimpse of the marsh imbued with life once again.