Mike and I got some nice color in the sky this particular evening during our two day stay at Cape Henlopen SP, DE. I had put on my water shoes in anticipation of setting up the tripod along the edges of the surf line to try and add some wave action to the scene. Needless to say I keep one hand on the tripod the whole time. Some shots were not sharp due to the drag of the water going back out, but some were timed right. This was the one I liked the best. I made a deliberate effort not to process the image to much as it was a calm peaceful evening and I wanted the processing to reflect that mood.
As always thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts as they are always appreciated.
Specific Feedback Requested
All C&C welcome.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Nikon D800, Nikon 17-35 @ 35mm, f13 @ 0.6 sec, cable release & tripod.
Ed this is sublime. I love the soft light, pastel colors, and the water movement. I think you picked a perfect shutter speed here. I wouldn’t change a thing.
I have enjoyed all your shoreline images from Cape Henlopen, Ed. and this is a wonderful capture. The magenta cast itself does not bother me as much as the fact that more than half the image showcases it. But evidently that is the light you wanted to portray…such a f transitory moment and well worth wading into the shoreline with the tripod when it fills and blushes the shore break as presented. From a processing standpoint i would work the whites and blacks in the shore a bit more working to provide more contrast and fluid textures .
My eyes however are drawn to the land form with that nice crisp water line and the highlights in that magnificent cloud. My first impression of the image was that it would be stronger if presented as a horizontal format. focusing on those two elements. From my subjective taste and point of view, the lower half even with that fleeting light , is not as strong as the top half.
I think @Diane_Miller rework of colors does a better job of emphasizing the lines in the surf, they seem to pop out more. Maybe its the purer whites. Maybe that’s the enhanced contrast that @Stephen_Stanton is talking about. I think the composition works because it places a lot of emphasis on the surf, which I think makes for a strong foreground. I also like how the diagonal of the surfconects the foreground to the cloud.
I do second both @Diane_Miller suggestion with color and @Stephen_Stanton about the water contrast.
Apart from that i do like your composition and the shutter speed used.
