First Light Play
First Light Play |
I woke up early. My gear was already prepared yesterday. I don't usually prepare the day before. Probably I'm excited. I wasted no time and immidiately drove to the location - Turimetta Beach.
I aimed to arrive during first light. It's a bit dark. I noticed that there were already a group of photographers taking position around Turimetta. I went past them as that location is already usual. I went further, near the edges of the reef. By that time, the colors begin to saturate and brighten.
I use 2 filters, Lee 0.9 Hard ND and Lee 1.2 ND. The 0.9 GND lowers the brightness of the sky so the camera can handle the dynamic range. The 1.2 ND lowers the shutterspeed to give a smooth effect of the water. I'm always at timer for 3 seconds to prevent any camera shake as I press the shutter.
In photoshop, I enhanced the colors. I wanted to show how vibrant the scene is. Saturation and Vibrance are used. I sharpened the photo to pop out the textures of the rocks. There was no vignetting added:
I shot with:
Nikon D800e
Nikkor 16-35mm f/4 @ 16mm, f/11
ISO100, 25 sec
Manfrotto Tripod
Lee 0.9 Hard GND Filter
Lee 1.2 Solid ND Filter
Location:
Turimetta Beach, NSW Australia