T
HE EBB AND flow of the tide is one of the
most appealing aspects of the coast and,
for photographers, it’s arguably the most
compelling reason to visit. Throw the expected
out of the window, and let’s discover a different
way of shooting seascapes. We’re not talking
about rewriting the rules here, but rather having
a little fun with them.
Strong lead-in lines, incredible foreground
interest and big skies are all part of the attraction
for seascapes, not to forget the fun of shooting
at different shutter speeds for a variety of effects.
But while these more obvious approaches
regularly yield great results, it can be the more
subtle and easily missed shots that are the key to
producing unusual images of popular locations.
Reflections in lakes and reservoirs are more
common than at the coast, but the problem
remains that even the very slightest breeze canrender a seemingly sheltered body of water
looking like a jacuzzi turned up to the ‘max’.
At the coast, however, even in windy conditions,
low-lying water and rock pools remain
completely still and can create the perfect mirror
image of their surroundings and the sky, so not
only is it much easier to find great reflection
images, they’re incredibly easy to shoot.
For the most impressive results, it’s always best
to shoot around sunrise and sunset because this
is when you’ll experience softer, warmer light that
keeps glare to a minimum. And, in terms of kit,
you really don’t need anything special to achieve
great results – little more than a camera and kit
lens is ideal. If you want to have the ultimate in
control, though, you’ll find ND graduated filters
may be useful and a polarising filter will likely help
your reflection to take on an extra lease of life.
Oh, and don’t forget your tripod!CAMERA: SONY ALPHA 7RIII/ LENS: S ONY FE 16-35MM F/2.8 GMH O
S
COASTAL
REFLECTIONS
CAPTURE SOMETHING DIFFERENT AT THE BEACH TODAY. JAMES ABBOTT SHOWS YOU HOW
TO GO AGAINST THE GRAIN FOR THE EASIEST AND MOST PUNCHY MIRROR IMAGES POSSIBLE