Category Archives: Beach

Photographer’s Choice – Don Kimmer

As Far South As You Can Go in the Continental US

Don Kimmer - Key West, Florida

Don Kimmer - Key West, Florida

If you’re looking for a great example of leading, converging lines and repeating patterns and colors in an image, look no further than this shot of Sunset Pier in Key West. A popular gathering spot for tourists and locals to gather for boat watching, sunsets and casual dining, the pier is decorated with all the trappings one associates with south Florida. This scene was captured at the end of April, 2007 at about 6:30 in the afternoon. It must be quite unusual to be so deserted at this time of day, with only a single person at the end of the pier where one’s eye inevitably lands.
This photograph is an example of why post processing is such an important part of any photographer’s life. The original shot was partially blocked in the upper right and left corners by dark overhanging umbrellas and the horizon was noticeably tilted. Also the color of the original had a slight green/yellow bias. But the scene was worth the time it took to correct these flaws to produce the final image above.
Don’s camera was a Nikon D80 with an 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 lens zoomed to it’s widest focal length. Exposure was 1/160 sec at f/9.0 with an ISO of 200.

Photographer’s Choice – Nicole Robinson

Looking for a Shot, Finding Another

Nicole Robinson - Point Bonita Lighthouse

Nicole Robinson - Point Bonita Lighthouse

Nicole was looking for a vantage point to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge and stumbled on this scene of the Point Bonita Lighthouse in the Marin Headlands, just north of San Francisco. Hoping for something unique and to properly convey the scene, she set up her tripod and opted for the very long exposure of 20 seconds which allowed the ocean waves to appear more like wispy fog than moving water. This softness provides a strong contrast between the soft spray and the rugged, prominent rock formations. Because the light was far too intense to use this slow shutter speed without blowing out the scene, she attached an 8x neutral density filter which brought the effective shutter down to about 1/13 second. Using an aperture setting of f/11, the total light reaching the sensor was controlled.
Her camera is the Canon EOS 50d with the excellent EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens. For this scene, the lens was zoomed to 125mm. The final image is certainly an excellent capture.