Watchtower

[Josh_Latham]

I had originally tried to get this shot about 6 months ago while out there. Long story short, it was a little too windy for the reflection and tide was rising… The shot just wasn’t what I’d envisioned. The second time, conditions were almost perfect and this is what I came home with.

What technical feedback would you like if any?

Please share any feedback you have.

What artistic feedback would you like if any?

I’m open for any.

Pertinent technical details or techniques:

(If this is a composite, etc. please be honest with your techniques to help others learn)
Two shots for DR.

Nikon D750
Tamron 15-30 f2.8
Main image:
30mm
F/8
ISO 1000
20 sec

I dropped the ISO to 200 for the highlights and blended them in.

Final image is a 50% scale .jpg.

Thanks in advance!

If you would like your image to be eligible for a feature on the NPN Instagram (@NaturePhotoNet), add the tag ‘ig’ and leave your Instagram username below.

@OregonSandRat

You may only download this image to demonstrate post-processing techniques.

[Paul_Breitkreuz]

Josh, a wonderful image with the juxtaposition of the lighthouse and the tiny reflection in the FG water bog there. Good to see you were able to return to the site and make this all come together. It truly shows that perseverance and excellent planning can payoff…

[joseph]

Josh, I love the moodiness of the image, the attention to detail in framing the composition, the texture of the rock etc. Maybe the only distracting elements are what appear to be lights at the base of the trees? Great work.

[Adhika_Lie]

Congrats, Josh. I know that feeling when things come together for an image. I am glad you came back to the spot. At first, I was a little hesitant about the composition. The reflection of the lighthouse appeared to be a lot more interesting than the actual lighthouse and they were kinda a little bit too far apart that there seemed to be two subjects in the image. But I grow to like the image quickly. I think it’s a very clever idea. Question about the tech, Are you limited to 20 secs or can you go longer? It seems like dropping the ISO to 320 and shoot a 1-minute exposure might help to keep the noise lower?

[Josh_Latham]

Thanks, Paul… I’ve spent a lot of time out there, probably not going to be my last time trying this one.

[Josh_Latham]

Thank you, Joseph… Good point! That light from the lighthouse is distracting. I’ll see what I can do about that.

[Josh_Latham]

Thanks, Adhika… I didn’t even realize how dirty this was until you mentioned it. I’d spent a bit of time blending in the highlights and overlooked it… That’s embarrassing.

Here is a cleaner version… What do you think?