Join me in experiencing my adventures and excitement on my photo shoots, as I unwrap my journey involved in capturing images that linger, whilst reflecting spectacular scenery that soak the soul with peace and hope!
When I arrived at the car park and walked towards the beach, The Spit, during the morning of my photo shoot, I could hear the ocean and when I saw it, I knew I was going to have a thrilling time.
It is on shoots like the one at The Spit, where you have to literally think on your feet as the waves accelerate towards you at an alarming speed, and of course, the size of them is impressive too.
Before I commence my shoot, I study the weather, and particularly the ocean, reading the ocean is of up most importance. And before I secure my tripod on the sand, I know in advance what the tides are doing and what the wind speed is.
It is imperative to be prepared as you can come unstuck by being caught out by a rogue wave. There is no time for playing around with my phone and taking pics.
The moment I choose my spot, I’m inclined to move around to increase the interest in my shots, I had my work cut out though. The Spit is a dog beach and the dogs, and their owners were well behaved that morning.
Of course, the dogs have a right to chase waves, but when they come close to my equipment, particularly when I’m shooting at a pinnacle moment, it can be quite distracting. However, I have learnt to work around that.
I noticed the side wash was strong, so before I moved my tripod and camera, I checked well in advance that it was safe to do so. I also made sure I didn’t reduce the length of my tripod legs too much due to the unpredictably of the ocean.
In saying that, I was able to capture some very special shots. The time lapse between the waves was short, so moments of calm before the arrival of another big wave, were few and far between. But, as I mentioned, it makes for exciting shooting.
A north easterly wind was blowing, it was strong, it brings with it sea mist which can be overcome by using photographic filters, whilst I position my camera and tripod with the wind behind me, or to my side, eliminating the sea mist.
Experience is always welcome in conditions like that. It was almost heart stopping at times; however, I will remember that shoot for some time to come. I packed away my photographic equipment with a spring in my step.