Before you get started you need to find a beach with rocks or other interesting subjects in the water. You will need a camera (one with manual settings is a plus) and a steady tripod. Now that you have found your location it’s time to setup your equipment. Fully extend your tripod and make sure to dig your tripod legs into the sand. I like to find a spot at the edge of the water where the waves are coming in. Point your camera down and put your subject (the rock) at the lower third of the image.

After you have framed your image, you need to adjust your camera settings. I always set my camera on (B) bulb mode, and I also use a cable release. I will add a link below with the camera equipment I used. You then need to set your aperture or f-stop at it’s highest number (f22 or higher). This is very important because you want to allow for a slow shutter speed which means you want to allow less light in. Overcast days are the perfect setting for shots like this because you can use a slower shutter speed to get more movement in the waves. If it is too bright outside you may need to add a neutral density filter (ND filter) to allow less light in the camera. You also need to make sure your ISO is at it’s lowest setting. ISO 100 is the lowest setting for most Canon cameras.

Now that everything is ready to go, all you need to do is to start shooting. I like to hold the shutter down for about one second. In bulb mode, when you hold the shutter release down, the shutter will open and when you release the shutter release, the shutter will close. The reason I put the camera in bulb mode is because I want to control the shutter. I like to open the shutter when the wave is on its way back out to sea. With a one second exposure the wave will show motion. You can also do this when the waves are coming in, but I find that waves look better going back out to sea. If you have a point and shoot camera with no manual settings you can attempt to take this image by setting your camera on night mode or by putting a sunglasses in front of your camera lens. So the next time you are out at the beach, try out this technique and if you are happy with the results post them on my fan page https://www.facebook.com/photosbydavidclark

GEAR USED

OPTIONAL

Image taken at The Big Photo Show 2013

I arrived in Vegas late last night, dropped off my bags and headed out for some late night photography. I snapped this image at the Venetian. I have been wanting to get this shot for the longest time, enjoy your weekend…I know I will

#LasVegas