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Railing & Marina [Afternoon and Evening Photographs, Sunset Pictures]

© Kerry Drager

Railing & Marina

Uploaded: June 06, 2004 00:26:34

Description

Sunset; 35-70mm zoom; Fuji Velvia 50

Comments

Ed Heaton June 11, 2004

Hi Kerry,
Outstanding image! The colors and focus on the rail is perfect. This is good stuff...
Your humble student....
Ed #137002

Kerry Drager June 11, 2004

Hi Ed: Thanks so much for your nice thoughts! I appreciate you taking the time to comment, and I'm especially pleased you like this image! Kerry

P.S. For anyone interested, here's more about "Railing & Marina":

The Strategies Behind This Photo: Planning & Patience

  • I stumbled across this marina in the San Francisco Bay Area one day at "high noon" - a time when the harsh overhead sunlight made this scene look anything but scenic! Still, I love to use railings and fences as foreground framing devices. Thus, I decided to return in what I expected would be better light ... about an hour before sunset. However, the scene - including the sky and distant buildings - wasn't nearly as exciting or colorful as I had hoped, due to a layer of light clouds just above the horizon.

  • As the sun got lower and lower, things kept looking more and more dull. I then invoked my late-day "rule": Never leave a scene too early! So I set up my gear and continued to wait ... and wait ... and this time such persistence paid off. Moments before the sun hit the horizon, the scene came alive: The buildings glowed in the warm light, the sky turned a dynamic color, and the brisk breeze of afternoon had died down enough to create rippled reflections.

  • The wonderful light didn't last long, though - less than a minute. I was glad that my composition was already in place and ready to go when the color drama began - thanks to that most valuable of accessories: the tripod!
    • #589345

    Ed Heaton June 11, 2004

    Hey Kerry,
    Great story and very valuable information regarding timing and patience… Thanks… #589432

    Amalia Sylvia Arriaga Salinas level-classic June 21, 2004

    I also like this image very much, I have not seen it before. It has wonderful colors,
    Amalia #608637

    Kerry Drager June 21, 2004

    Hi Amalia: How nice to hear from you ... I'm glad you like this photo! Thanks for your nice comments!
    Kerry

    P.S. to Ed and Amalia: It looks like we're having a little class reunion here ... excellent!! #608786

    Ed Heaton June 21, 2004

    I would have to say I think our classmates were the best! I really hope we all keep in touch!!!! #608911

    Kerry Drager June 21, 2004

    Yes, Ed, I absolutely and totally agree!!! We had such a verrrry special group!!
    Kerry #608938

    Ed Heaton June 21, 2004

    Hi Kerry,
    What are you doing sitting in front of the computer? You're supposed to be out taking those award winning shots...(lol) I'm going to try to get out after dinner and shoot a sunset! It's 7pm here... #608947

    Kerry Drager June 21, 2004

    Hi again Ed: Good question!! (lol) But I'm in the Pacific time zone, and the late-afternoon light is just now starting to get nice ... and ... and ... I'm out of here!! Kerry #609020

    Frank P. Luongo December 06, 2004

    Great photo Kerry!
    I too like fences,gates,railings and similar linear or curvilinear objects in photos.
    This photo is striking not only because of the foreground fence but the reflected colors on the water.
    Which bringd me to a question.
    Is it true that light reflected off the surface of water absorbs at least 2 f stops?
    If so, do you meter off the reflected light?
    Curiously yours
    Frank

    P.S.
    Looking forward to your Point,Think, and Shoot class this coming January #957734

    Kerry Drager December 06, 2004

    Hi Frank, and good question! Your first question refers to the fact that a reflection is always darker than the subject itself. In a scene that includes both the main subject and the reflection, I usually go for a "compromise" exposure - the sky, for example, a little brighter than normal and the reflection a little darker than normal. This presumes, however, that the difference in exposure between reflection and main subject is under 2 stops. A greater difference might require a graduated filter or a change in composition (i.e., just shoot the reflection ... as I did in this photo).

    In this scene here - Railing & Marina - I took an alternate meter reading off the water reflection. I filled up the viewfinder with the solid reflected color (not the bright lights at the top of the frame). But because this solid area was just a tiny bit brighter than mid-tone, I added 1/2 stop of extra exposure. But, just to be sure (since I was using slide film), I also bracketed the exposure - by shooting additional images (1/2 stop in each direction).

    Frank, I hope this makes sense; if not, please follow-up. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to you joining me in January for a great online adventure!!
    Kerry #957856


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