Low Tide, Bean Hollow State Park, California

Critique Style Requested: Standard

The photographer is looking for generalized feedback about the aesthetic and technical qualities of their image.

Description

When I lived a lot closer to the California coastline, I used to periodically cruise up and down Hightway 1 between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, looking for compositions. One of my favorite places to stop was Bean Hollow State Park, where I managed to capture this panorama. [It should be noted that along this patch of coastline, the surf has a tendency to flex its muscles at the most unexpected times, so when walking down to the beach, I always make sure the tide is going out - and I have an easy/quick escape path to higher ground within reach at a moments notice.]

Specific Feedback

Rather than pointing my camera “straight at the ocean”, I opted for a “profile” view of the coastline that emphasized the transition between land and sea instead.

I’m curious to know if you think this perspective worked for this subject.

Technical Details

Focus-stitched panorama. As I recall, it was around 5 or 6 vertical shots. At the time I had a fairly large roll-fed printer which I used to make a 4 foot wide print that I hung up in my home office. That is to say, more pixels were better than fewer pixels…

Each exposure: 1/160 sec at f/11, ISO 100, 50 mm


Critique Template

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Nice!! I like the unexpected expanse from the vegetation-covered dune on the left to the water on the right, and the very interesting rocks. That would be an amazing print!

I think you pointed your camera the right way, Franz. The rock formation is really cool and I like the way it’s framed by the vegetation in the upper left and the water on the right. The marine growth adds an additional interest to the image for me. I have to ask: what are the small red elongated things in the water?

Franz: There is so much to explore and enjoy here. Every corner and cranny of the image has something of interest. Marvelous comp and a fine result. >=))>