CraigBILL

After setting up, composing and waiting several hours for a sunset shot, my hopes were diminishing fast due to the washed out, brassy and hazy sky. I had an image in my mind of what this scene might look like with a long exposure capture. But without good sunset and water reflections, it would be a big flop! Just as I was about to leave, the sky flashed with color and flare! I wasted no time taking my first shot, “Surfer’s Secret” and about a half an hour later, I begin to take the longer exposure captures.

This is where you can get that special feel - but you have to be patient and explore different technical options to creatively record a scene like this. Can’t take to long, or the fleeting light is gone along with all the colors. Tweak the shutter speed, adjust the ISO... no no, to dark. And the light was dipping into more and more darkness by the minute! Open the aperture a little more, adjust shutter time - click...... wait.....wait..... 30 seconds. “I think I got it!” I was not certain about the several slightly different camera setting images until I started test printing. It was then that I knew I had a great photograph.