Category Archives: Beach

Photographer’s Choice – Anita Hale

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The Girl From Ipanema?

Anita Hale - Brazilian Girl in the Sand

Anita Hale - Brazilian Girl in the Sand

Do you remember the hit song from 1964 performed by Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz that helped to bring the bossa nova and Brazilian rhythms to the American popular music scene? This image by Anita probably was not captured on Ipanema beach in Rio but the mood created is the same-a young girl in the sand with wet hair, glistening in bright, almost overpowering sunlight. The angle she chose is far removed from that of a typical portrait and leaves much of the interpretation to the imagination. It’s also an image that may not appeal to everyone but those who can appreciate a creative approach to photography will find much to admire. The graceful intertwining of the strands of hair provides a calming influence in an otherwise “hot” image.
Anita’s camera was a Canon Powershot SD750 at 1/250 sec with an aperture of f/4.9 set to a focal length of 17.4 mm. The ISO was 400.

Photographer’s Choice – Peyton Hale

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“…most intense sunrise scenarios I’ve seen in years.”

Peyton Hale - Twilight at Edisto Island, SC

Peyton Hale - Twilight at Edisto Island, SC

The world’s population is projected to reach 7 billion by April of this year and yet the earth can still appear desolate, prehistoric, with a beauty almost beyond human imagination. A photographer in the right place at the right moment can attempt to capture this magnificent world. Peyton has come close with this image.
To succeed it can take dedicated effort. Peyton writes, “I departed Raleigh at 12:30 am and drove south 5 hours to Edisto Island, South Carolina arriving shortly before civil twilight. A short stroll through the coastal marshland and a few hammocks and the path opened up to the Atlantic Ocean and a beach lined with these desolate trees down the expanse of the beach. With the cloud cover moving towards sunrise I was presented with one of the most intense sunrise scenarios I’ve seen in years.” Notice the composition, the lines, shapes, patterns and colors that make the image powerful.
Peyton’s camera is the Canon EOS 5D Markll with Canon’s EF17-40mm f/4L USM lens. ISO was set to 320, shutter speed a slow 2.5 sec at f/16. He used a Singh-Ray 3 Stop reverse Grad ND filter to help balance the natural light. There is an article on the Singh-Ray site featuring Peyton which can be viewed here.