CHALLENGE3:LOWTIDE
Followinga drinkanda delicioussliceof
chocolatebrownie,wereturnedto the
beachto findthelowtidehadrevealeda
lovelybigsandybeach.Whilethedrab,
overcastweatherwasn’twhatwehadhoped
for,thelackof sunshinemeanttherewere
fewerpeopleonthebeach.Thiswasgood
newsforus.Oneof thebiggestissueswith
takingphotosat a lowtideis footprints.Lots
of walkers,ora fewdogsrunningabout,
willquicklyruina beachforphotography.
However,otherthana fewpeoplein the
distance,thebeachwaslargelyourown. We
hadto becarefulof theroutewetookacross
thebeachsoasto notunwittinglyruinany
potentialviewpointswithourownfootprints.
Theforcesof naturechangebeaches like
Sandymouthona dailybasis.Sometimes,
lowtidewillreveallotsof interestingsand
patternsandreflectivetidalpoolswhich
makesuperbforeground.Unfortunately
forus,onthisparticularday,thebeachwas
lackinganyobviousfeatures,soourchoice
of viewpointwasfrustratinglylimited.After
a shortwalk,webothinstinctivelygravitated
towarda littlestreamwindingitswayfrom
theshoreto thesea.Thisat leastprovided
foregroundmotionandinterestandDanny
beganlookingthroughtheeyepieceof his
NikonD850forthebestwayto framethe
scene.Theconditionshadn’timprovedmuch- it remainedcloudyanda bithazy.However,
thesundidtryto breakthroughonceor
twice,whichat leastaddeda slightshimmer
to thewaterandwet,reflectivesand.
Danny took a few test shots, but neither
of us were convinced the little stream was
providing sufficient interest to anchor the
composition. We looked around and there
were no other obvious options, other than
getting right down to the water’s edge and
using waves to generate interest. And so
that was exactly what we did. Our 'wellies'
allowed us to paddle in the shallow water
and set up where the waves were rushing
back and forth. We pushed the legs of
Danny’s Gitzo Systematic tripod firmly into
the sand to try to prevent his set-up sinking
as waves washed around the feet of his
tripod. But unfortunately a few of his shots
were still ruined as a result of ghosting.
Danny experimented with shutter speeds
and timing in order to create the best result.
To generate a pleasing degree of motion,
he again used his four-stop ND filter – this
prolonged exposure to approx. 0.5 seconds.
Danny then waited for incoming waves to
wash into his foreground, using a remote
cord to trigger the shutter at just the right
moment. As the waves met the little stream,
interesting patterns and swirls were created
which added interest to Danny’s photos. The
lighting was soft and diffused and results
looked quite painterly on the large screen of
Danny’s Nikon digital SLR.
Our 'wellies' have proved to be the
accessory of the day, allowing us to get
close to the action and interest. However,
inevitably, a large wave finally caught us out
and we both ended up with a boot full of
seawater. Time to head back to the car to dry
out and for a change of socks and footwear!“Theconditionsonthedaydidn’tmakeit easy
for Danny. Not only did it remain overcast
throughout, but low tide revealed a beach
devoid of any nice tidal pools or sand patterns.
But landscape photographers have to be
adaptable, particularly when shooting
seascapes when the changing tide keeps
altering the landscape. I really like Danny’s final
images. They are simple, soothing and
painterly. His use of filtration and exposure
produced some great results. Throughout the
day, Danny captured a diverse range of coastal
shots to neatly demonstrate what you can
achieve from tide-to-tide.”CHALLENGE 3 Pro verdict
1) Danny isn’t afraid to get his feet wet in order to complete
the challenge. A good pair of Wellingtons is well worth
investing in if you plan to shoot at the coast!. 2) Danny checks
his camera settings are set-up correctly. 3) Using a remote
device aids precise timing of shots and ensures the camera
doesn't move during the exposure. 4) Water motion creates
lovely foreground patterns and swirls.12 3The (^) Photo Workshop
72 Digital SLR Photography Ma y 2019
BLURRED TO PERFECTION
A slow exposure blurs the incoming wave,
while the diffused light and dog walker in
the distance add mood and interest.
Exposure: 0.3 seconds at f/13 (ISO 64)