tylerwind

Antanas Strazdas, May 09, 2007; 03:17 P.M.

 

Perfect capture, very good composition, colors, very interesting work!

 

 

 

 

 

STEVE AUGLE, May 09, 2007; 03:20 P.M.

 

A must see!

Great Mood and color, This is a Wonderful Photo!

 

James--Thank you very much for your critique and kind words. Were you saying to move the lighthouse to the other (right) side of the picture? I didn't follow exactly what you meant about moving the lighthouse. I placed it here because I wanted it off-center and the sun is rising (ie-brightest spot) to the right. So, I figured the lighthouse would be the interest on the left and the brightest colors from the sun rising would be the best I could do to balance things on the right. I was going for the "stranded" or "lonely" feeling (as the title suggests) with a very simple composition with few points of interest...kind of simple but pleasant.

 

About smoothing the sea, some people like some chop to it but I am with you--I like is s-m-o-o-t-h as ice, especially for sunrise shots when you can get reflections from the lighthouse (this shot was too early for them) and some sunrise glow on the water. However, this is as smooth as I could get for this shot--it is taken about 10-15 minutes before sunrise at ISO 100, f/45, a polarizing filter (just to lose 2 stops of light), and 3 stops worth of graduated neutral density filters. Some days I go shoot this and the water is like glass but some days it is so choppy that it's darn near impossible to smooth it out regardless of shutter speed. I'll try again another day!

 

Thanks again for your comments--they were very insightful and are appreciated!

Any thoughts or comments are greatly appreciated!

Lindsay--A creative picture...I really LOVE what Mark did for it! This picture is pretty overexposed because of the snow (it is hard to expose and properly white balance--remember if you auto meter the camera wants to make the "average" color in the picture grey) but Mark did A LOT for this shot. Mark...your photoshop skills are out of this world! You can really work magic with that program! Both of you keep up the good work!

Micki--Thanks again! I was even LESS sure about this shot but as with "PreDawn Pink" I have been reassured by many people like yourself. I was unsure if the composition worked with the lighthouse small and so low. But, I composed it this way to get that upper cloud and the "streaking" included in the composition. To be honest, I have just about every other composition you can imagine. Not only do I return to the same place many times, but I snap the shutter with machine like efficiency while I'm there! I try out all possible combinations or exposure, focus, composition, etc. I'll generally shoot a sunrise for about 30 minutes and usually come home with about 350 frames. You guys have encouraged me to actually go back through them and look for some more winners. Thanks for the support--it is MUCH appreciated!

Micki--I really appreciate your remarks! To answer your question, yes, I do "have" photoshop but "no" I don't know how to use it yet! I'm working on it but since this is a side hobby with me "working on it" sometimes takes many months. I really appreciate your compliments and feedback on this shot. I am very pleased with the reviews this shot has received--to be honest, I almost deleted this picture and didn't post it! I have many other shots that are very, very similar and perhaps even better so now that I know this shot works for many people I'll have to review them and maybe try to post some more. I was not overly impressed by my anonymous ratings but the outstanding direct marks and more importantly, comments from respected opinions have given me much faith in this shot. Thanks for the support!

I love the orange you captured here and the plane is really a very nice touch, especially where you positioned it between two tall buildings. Very nicely done!

Very basic, but wonderfully composed and exposed. Very well done--I'm a big fan!

Thanks JK! I realize this is not a show-stopper photograph but I've been trying to branch out and do some wildlife and I thought this cluster of pelicans made a decent shot. Do you have any pelican shots posted in your portfolio? I'll swing by and check for them--if not, please let me know when you get some uploaded. I'm certain I could learn much from your work.

JK--Thanks for the comments. I couldn't agree with you more...if you find a spectacular location I never get tired of shooting it. Since this lighthouse is actually on an island/in the water, I think it is a really unique opportunity for sunrise because very rarely can you see a lighthouse all alone with nothing but water and sky and the rising sun behind it. It really does amaze me because I've probably shot sunrise here 25 different morning and EVERY SINGLE ONE is drastically different. There are always different colors, different clouds, beach patterns, high/low tide, dolphins, etc. So, you can tell your wife you aren't nuts...well, maybe you can just tell her there is someone in Charleston that is just as nuts as you. :) Thanks for stopping by and leaving some comments--always nice to hear from you!

David--I really like your idea here with the blur gradually fading into tack sharp. For me personally (read that as "the humble opinion of an inferior photographer"), I would probably prefer the foreground with a slight bit less blur. I really like the idea, but I personally would like a bit more foreground detail. However, I am can definitely see where many people would prefer the stark contrast from very blurry to very sharp. Your composition is excellent. Keep up the great work--I can't tell you how much I enjoy it!

Thanks, Lannie! I really appreciate your words and thoughts. This shot is the result of a new suggestion Vince Tylor gave me, which is arrive 30 minutes before sunrise to shoot sunrise shots. Until recently, I never arrived more than 5 or 10 minutes prior to the sun peeking over the horizon but I've noticed I'm getting some really pleasing shots getting up a bit earlier (although that extra 20 minutes of sleep means a lot at 4:40am!) I have a bunch of shots like this that I'll try to get posted and hope to shoot many more soon. I am glad I've started doing this because long before sunrise when you get long exposures the colors can be really pleasing. Thanks again for your time and comments!

Any comments are greatly appreciated!

Lannie--You have captured some very interesting moods and effects in this shot with the symmetry and reflections. I really like the uniqueness of this photo. Hope you are doing well--keep up the great work!

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Vince--Glad to see you headlining photo.net once again! I can always spot your photos from a mile away! I know the conversation is 2 or 3 years old, but I think this shot can work with or without the people. In general, I NEVER include people in my "natural beauty" shots (ie-sunrise & sunset) but that's a personal bias and to be honest, maybe I should from time to time. Depending upon how you view it, the people very well may add a "playful" feeling to the shot for many viewers. I honestly feel like if you had a poll it would be split 50/50. Furthermore, while I do NOT feel they are too small to be noticed as some suggested above, my eye was not attracted to them until I'd already looked at 3 or 4 aspects of the composition and already fallen in love with the shot. The "eye magnet" for me is that rushing wave that is so realistic that I can feel the cold water on my foot! I do like your shutter speed and composition very much. You posted another similar shot above which is also great but I like this one better because of the rushing wave. In my (very) humble opinion, the other version posted above would have been better if you'd waiting about 1 second longer and allowed the wave to crash--which would have allowed the water to take over some of the sand and given another point of interest in the rushing water. Those are my very, very picky opinions but in the end they are both spectacular shots. I am curious about your filters--did you use the P197 or P198 for these shots? How about a polarizer? I'm assuming the sun already set--did it do so off to the side or somewhere in the composition? I'm only asking purely for my own education and benefit. Thanks for sharing and all you do, Vince--you're such an asset to me an everyone on photo.net!

Any thoughts or comments are greatly appreciated!

Ashley Stone, May 02, 2007; 09:34 P.M.

 

You never fail to impress me. You're so good at this art! Hope boards went well.

 

Wonderful lighting, saturation and composition! Nothing beats a good combine picture in my mind! Thanks for taking me out of the city (which I hate, even though I live in one of the best cities if you HAVE to live in the city) and returning me to rural living for a brief moment. You just can't beat life in the country! :) Great shot...keep up the good work!

Thanks Torfinn! You hit the nail on the head...I was going for very basic, simple, composition to give a wide open space/solitude feeling (very similar to my shot "Blue Sunrise"). Thanks for your thoughts. I always enjoy and appreciate your thoughtful comments. Thanks for being so faithful about leaving remarks! You

Any thoughts or comments are greatly appreciated!

Jason--I've been meaning to email or call you for, well, forever! I apologize that I temporarily dropped off the earth but things should be slowing down for me a bit now for the next few months. We need to catch up soon and maybe even take another shooting trip--I really enjoyed getting together to hang out and shoot. This shot here really caught my eye--I've tried a few of these lizards and I'm really, really impressed with this capture. The image is TACK sharp, wonderful saturation, and composed beautifully--a real winner my friend! Is this the new MACRO lens? How you liking that? Now...the Tokina awaits you! :) Be in touch and let's get together or at least touch base soon, ok? Take care buddy and once again, GREAT work here!

Thank you guys for the very kind remarks. I do appreciate them, especially since this shot did not fare quite as well as the very, very similar shot I posted yesterday. I have to do some reading on orthopaedic trauma at the moment but will try to make it by your portfolio soon and return the critique favor. Things are going great here in SC, Dennis. Thank you for asking...I hope things are good for you as well. I have been a bit absent from PN recently. Cole, yes, I just found out that I passed my boards. Thanks for asking...that is something I'm glad to have behind me!

Any thoughts or comments are greatly appreciated!

Lannie--Thanks for the comment (and rating, which at least off-sets the kind soul that just gave this a 4/3). I have been shooting sunrise here for the last few weeks (probably about 6 or 7 mornings) and this has been my feature composition after the sun peeks over the horizon. I'll try to get some more posted...I've been busy and unable to be very active on here the last month or so but hope to find more time and catch up on the old work. Once again, thanks for taking the time to stop by--you comments are always welcomed, appreciated and valued. Glad to know you like this one as well! I'll try to get some similar versions posted--I shot 370 frames this morning. :)