It is June and I am in the Netherlands for a short visit.
Due to a busy schedule, there is just one single evening to take pictures.
The good news is that I have a location in mind, the bad news is that weather conditions don’t look promising.
While driving, I just see dull looking grey clouds. The weather forecast promised improvements but so far I see none.
It is a pretty far drive, maybe it is better to just turn around? But this is my only chance so I just keep on driving.
When I finally I reach my destination, conditions are still not looking good.
But I see a glimmer of light on the horizon. Could this be my lucky day?
Another issue is the water level, it is much higher then expected.
To get a decent shot, I have to take off my shoes and socks and stand barefoot in the water.
Luckily, it is not very cold.
Things are really clearing up after an hour or so.
The setting sun now requires a slight under exposure to keep details in the sky.
After 30 minutes it is all over, the sun has set.
Glad that I made the trip, I return to my car for the long ride home.
Great job on sticking it out; the only sure way to miss the shot is not to try. I’ve sure missed some good stuff in the past by chickening out too early.
I love your water texture and color here, and I think it works well that you were standing in the water. The sky color and drama is very complimentary as well.
I’m conflicted regarding the wood on the left. The lines lead me away from what I consider the better part of the image, and I find myself wishing that the left half of the image was a mirror of the right, just focusing on that beautiful water.
This is quite a beautiful seascape. I love the colors - especially in the surf. Great texture and movement of the receding wave. And you’ve got a great sky going on.
I don’t mind so much the pilings(?) as they actually don’t take away from the reflected colors and texture of the water.
If anything, my suggestion is around adjusting the luminosity balance between the top and the bottom. The bottom is lighter than one would expect given the darker clouds up top. And vice-versa, the sky up top is darker than what the sand and surf indicate. Getting those closer I think would be an improvement.
Not a big deal, but I’m torn about the presence of the land/jetty or whatever on the right side of the horizon line. Not an image killer, but though I would mention.
I do want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed your recount of your outing. I think most of us can relate. Thanks for sharing - you were well rewarded.
You won me over with just the water in the central area of the image. What a wonderful mixture of golds, greens, aquas, and anything else that’s in there.
John makes an interesting point about the pier being intrusive. That was not my first reaction. The pier has a lot of character. It does compete with the water in the central area a bit. On the other hand the stormy seas complement the aging pier perfectly in subject matter. I think it’s a marvelous image overall.
Arjen, I’ll echo the other’s comments, this is a marvelous seascape. Your processing of the light and color in this image is outstanding, it’s a real visual treat. The colors in the water are particularly pleasing. In terms of composition, I like your sky to land ratio, despite the wonderful clouds, the sea has such nice color that it is definitely worth emphasizing. I’m okay with the pilings on the left, to me the left to right flow of these pilings draws the viewers eye to the foreground waves. I am a little bothered by the empty sand in the lower left corner, it is much less interesting than all the other other great stuff going on elsewhere. I’m not sure cropping it away helps, since that would eliminate the waves. Moving your view point probably would not have helped either. If you are okay with this sort of thing, I did a Photoshop content aware fill of the sand area, it helps a little, although it may not be that realistic looking. Maybe it’s time to invest in a pair of knee high boots, to allow you to get out in the surf and seek other compositions
I have taken many shots like this, and overall you have a great shot. I know what it’s like to stand in ocean water with waves running up to your knees and your tripod forever sinking into the sand. These are not easy photographs to capture! Technically, you hit all of the marks. Compositionally, I’m conflicted. If you stood directly in front of the piers, you would have a great leading line, but those clouds would be lost. If you zoomed in on the piers, then those waves in the foreground would be lost. Overall, I prefer the latter. The piers are the star of the show. But again, this is not an easy decision to make. There are many good elements to this shot. Well done.
Here’s what I noticed - the composition just does not work for me. The wood pier draws me away from the colorful part of the scene and just forces my eye to work harder than it should… otherwise, the color/processing/texture is great!
