Cockle Beach

OK, please don’t laugh. This is my first attempt at this kind of photography. Unsure what category this even belongs to… close up, photo art, nature, seascape???

Anyways, had a great blast this afternoon chasing various shells around a low water mark at my local beach. This was more difficult than I thought as I didn’t realise how much they move around in the swell. Trying to pin these guys down for just a second so I could take a shot was a real challenge.

Any thoughts about the image would be most welcome, would love to find out more about this fascinating side of photography. If you know of any resources to share I would be most interested.

Pertinent technical details or techniques:

Sony ILCE-7RM3 / FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS / Tripod
ISO 100 - 200mm - f/11 - 1/6sec

You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.
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I have no idea who’s doing this kind of stuff, John. I seem to recall something similar not too long ago and I think it was either @Allen_Brooks or @David_Bogener, but I could be wrong. I really like what you’ve done here and I never would have thought of using such a slow shutter sped, but it seems effective. Very nicely done, and I look forward to seeing more in this vein.

John: Wow, first pitch home run! I like this and the subtle motion in the sand. Terrific color palette as well. Superbly crafted image. :+1::clap::+1::clap:>=))>

I think you’re onto something really neat John, but for it to really work for me I’d like to see more definition and focus on the umbros. I’m sure you played with the shutter speed, so I’m wondering about the effects of more and less. Not a criticism on that, rather curiosity how changes in the moving water and sand affect the overall image.

Well done, John. A difficult image to capture, but you pretty much nailed it.:clap:

Hey guys, thanks all for taking the time to critique.

I took a whole bunch of shots of other shells that day, many of which look pin sharp. The one in the photo is certainly on the soft focus end of the scale but it kind of stood out to me. I wanted to go for a dreamy look with this image and this one seemed to fit the bill quite well.

When I get chance I’ll be processing a couple of the more sharply focused ones to see how they look.

The shooting experience was good fun and I enjoyed processing this image. Something I’ll probably be exploring more in the future.

John, this looks great, with the flowing lines, but enough clarity that the shell is easily identifiable. I especially like the swirling sand above the shell. I do wonder how this would look with a bit more space above the shell or a bit more space below the shell, just not at the same time. Lots of “room to play” with this shot and with the concept.

That’s what it’s all about! Looking forward to more from your efforts.

Hi John, I like the flow you have captured and communicated in the image. Feel like I’m on the beach…well done.

Beautiful, John, I love all the different lines of the flow in the image. Very decorative!
Grt, Ingrid.

Very nice image and it gives the sense of flow - of water, of nature, of time… :slight_smile: I like it a lot! You should be experimenting more with this…

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A piece of Art … as simple as that
Balan Vinod

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