Bedtime Story (Click for larger view)

I didn't have time ot venture too far from home, but couldn't resist a

couple of hours out with my camera. Fortunately I have a wealth of

places to choose from within 20 minutes drive, and the old fishing

boats on Meols beach are always an attractive proposition. I waited

for the sun to dip below the thin band of cloud to diffuse the harshest

rays of light. Your thoughts and comments are always appreciated.

Thank You.

This is one of the most beautiful times of the day.  It is this wonderful time that everything is calming down.  It's the time where all creatures in nature are looking for a place to rest after an exhausting day.  Likewise the fishermen decide that it's time to go home. 

The little boat is nesting on the small mound of sand and leans to sleep.  Tomorrow is another day, and hopefully a better one for everyone and for everything...

A very narrative picture, en excellent capture! Great work Alf!  Thanks for sharing it with us!

Pure technical perfection and most interesting subject! Right place, right time, right composition...what else! Doesn't need anything else! Bravo Alf!

Best regards

PDE

Splendid composition, superb color and lighting, and a story told and untold with anticipation and static energy in the boat.  Everything came together for you here, even the rivlets in the mud lined up perfectly ;-)...  Mike

Superb in every aspect.  And thanks to Panayotis for his descriptive narrative.....one you could have written as well.  :-) 

Very interesting subject. Beautiful colours and great composition. Well done.

Only one word:...MASTERPICE!

Hi Alf,

One suggestion, F/4 or F/5.6.

Aesthetically very nice.

Best Regards my friend, Mike

Hi Alf,

  Beautiful scene with wonderful colors, lighting & details.  One of the best times of day.  Take care, Patsy

Admittedly, I have a lot to learn, but this is basically a question for Mike Palermiti.  To my eye, this is as close to a perfect image as I can imagine.  Compositionally it has all the ingredients of a fine image, and the technicals seem great to me as well.  I'm curious as to what difference it would have made if Alf had shot this at F/4 or F/5.6, as Mike suggested above.  Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me.  :-)

Really beautiful work with impressive lighting, Alf!

With best regards,

Ruud.

As everyone above has stated a very well done image Alf. If it were mine, I'd crop a little from the top down to just above the mast leaving room above the mast. This would minimize the the blank sky. Very nice either way.

Beautiful shot.

magnificent.

very well controlled.  does not look over-processed, even on the terrible screen I have to use here in Oklahoma.  best, jamie

Nothing short of wonderful. I don't know if I need to say anything more.

You describe the time of day so well. I also like the way you describe the boat leaning against the sandbank going to sleep. It was that kind of thought that led to my title.

It is the last 30 minutes before the sun dips below the horizon and the next 30 minutes after that is just perfect for taking photographs.

The fishermen go home, and the people that were playing football on the beach also went home : - ) Soon after taking this one, I went home also as the tide started coming in very quickly!

Sincere Thanks for your inspirational comments!

Alf

PIERRE

What else.....Well........ I really wanted the breeze to stop so that the water would reflect the boat a little better, but no matter how much I shook my fist at the sky.....it just didn't happen.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and positive feedback!

Best Regards

Alf

MIKE M

The lines in the sand are something I try to use to my advantage, they tend to make good leading lines, and sometime when they are deep enough the light catching them on the side can be quite spectacular, not this time, but they served a purpose.

Many Thanks for your thoughts and positive feedback!

Best Regards

Alf

CHRISTAL

Sincere thanks for your very positive feedback!  Panayotis did indeed interpret and describe this as I would have!

Cheers Christal!

Alf

RAY

Many Thanks  for your interest and thoughtful feedback, much appreciated!

Best Regards

Alf

GRANT

Thank you for your thoughts and positive feedback. The level of detail on the 72 MB original RAW file is quite impressive, the D800 is capable of great things, this might be one that I get printed.

Cheers Grant!

Alf

SERGIO

The tide goes out for such a long way here, but it is very dangerous to venture too far out, as there is quicksand.  I am very pleased you like this one. Thank You!

Alf

MAURIZIO

Only Two words  THANK YOU! : - )

Alf

MIKE P

Thank you for your suggestion Mike.

Of course I did consider F 5.6 before taking this, however as I was shooting directly into the sun, I opted for a smaller aperture.

Now usually I would try and use a Grad or a circular ND filter in order to enable the larger aperture you suggested, But as you know the Nikkor 14 -24 F 2.8G ED has a particularly bulbous front element that does not readilly facilitate the use of filters (unless you opt for the extortionaly over priced kit) So for these circumstances I went for a smaller aperture. I think I could get this printed at 36" x 24" without any noticeable loss of quality.

Cheers my friend!

Alf

PATSY

It most certainly is one of the best times of day, the dawn being my other favourite time of the day!

Sincere Thanks & Best Regards

Alf

CHRISTAL

We all have a lot to learn, and the minute I think I can't learn anything more, I'll get bored and do something else. But such is the depth of knowledge involved in photography, that it isn't likely to happen : - )

It is generally accepted scientificaly that a maximum amount of light through a lens will produce the best quality images, hence Mikes suggestion. However science isn't the only factor involved in producing a pleasing image, and I think his further comment of " Aesthetically very nice" is testament to that.

But of course I am sure Mike would like to answer your question himself.

Cheers Christal!

Alf

RUUD

Many Thanks for your interest and kind words!

Best Regards

Alf

KENNETH

Many Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions, very much appreciated!

I think the suggested crop works very well. But I would be reluctant to crop the top as the proportions in relation to the space at the side of the boat would be unequal. Also there is a fine aerial above the mast (see it better in the larger view) that might be a bit too close to the edge of the frame if the image was cropped.

Best Regards

Alf

DALE

Many Thanks for your interest and Kind words!

Best Regards

Alf

JAMIE

"Blue Haze"  Nearly a hendrix song : - )

Not very much processing at all!

Oklahoma! ......I do hope you took a camera!

Thank You Jamie !

Alf

DAVID

Sincere Thanks!  "Lovely" and "Nothing short of wonderful"  Wow! I am deeply flattered!

Best Regards

Alf

Hi Alf,

Shooting at F/4 would produce a better image for enlargement purposes.

Shooting with the Sun present would not be effected by F/4 verse F/8 because you can simply compensate the exposure used.

The Nikkor lens that you used produces better image quality at under F/8 settings, with F/4 being the best level of performance (assuming that your lens copy is not flawed)

As you know, I own that lens, and have  extensive detailed data on every Nikkor in existence.

Best Regards my friend, Mike

Hi Alf,

As for your statement about print size, that has little to do with what I am addressing.

Your camera is capable of 36X24 print from any lens because of the pixel density.

If the printer accurately recorded to the media what you had on the frame, that still would not account for what you did NOT capture on your frame because of the f-stop that you used.

Details recorded are different from the size of the display.

Best Regards my friend, Mike

Hi Alf,  Managing all of your comments is like a second job, eh?  It's good that you still find time to get to all the wonderful places you have to create wonderful images like this one.  This is extremely well composed. I like the way you keep the boat up high and use textures and reflections of the beach and water to move the eye into the boat.  It works well, and helps the viewer see the interesting anchor or tie down line that seems to go right into the sand.  following up from the rope the eye dances through the meandering streams of water that are so perfectly lighted by the wonderful yellow sunset you have nailed.  The image is a wonderful creation.  Thanks for your recent comments on my desert image.   Best to you.  Larry

A Great low tide Image this is! It would be good without the boat but the addition makes it perfect!

-r-

Alf

I liked the fine details in the foreground area as well as on the boat although it sat diagonally in opposite to light. best regards

you are very lucky to live both close to the sea and mountains (rest assured: I envy you;-)).

This is simply a great photo (composed & exposed just perfect for a scene this). You also avoided any exaggerated postprocessing, so the viewer can almost feel the chill of the salty seabreeze.

Hi Alf

WOW! I viewed large and what an astounding image this is..... what else can I add to the many compliments received already.... except for, this is joining your other fine images in my favorites folder :) ..... Beautiful scene, stunning composition.... superb work Alf.... very well done!

Warm regards

Jacqueline