Forbidden Cove, a photo from Donegal, North

Photographer's Note

Forbidden Cove: There is a steep climb down to this cove which gives a great perspective to Fanad lighthouse situated in County Donegal. This was captured 40 minutes after sunset with full illumination of the bulb adding to the mood. My plan was to capture some drama in the waves rather than the usual motion blur seen in low light seascapes. To achieve this I used a high ISO1000 setting and diffused flash which froze the waves. I timed the shot to include the foreground stones which was important. I used Shadows and Highlights in Photoshop to balance the exposure.

Canon 5 mk2
17-40 lens
2sec
F9
ISO 1000
Manual flash

delpeoples, dta, pauloog, fotka, i9l2y1m8a8t3, Jaoh has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Cortez236 (1273) 2010-12-03 14:52

This is a great, great photo. The light seems to be perfect. My regards + respect,
David

weetrees (599) 2010-12-03 15:01

Excellent shot Stephen,
Almost cartoonish because of the light
love the water drawing us int othe further back layers of the image
I love your use of light on this and other images
Well done

John

stevesaba (8019) 2010-12-03 19:51

Hi Stephen!
A very effective shot. I had a really good look, and am still trying to figure out how you got the splash part so clear at the 2 second speed. This stuff is your specialty, and it's always a treat to see. This one definitely has a mood....aided by the lighthouse of course. Fine work, warm regards,
Steve

SnapRJW (18784) 2010-12-03 20:54

Hello Stephen - Super composition on this, the detail is finely shown even in the darker areas of the image. The use of flash to freeze the "splash" is great as it adds life to the shot. Really well done! best regards Rosemary

Matthew-Watt (6035) 2010-12-03 21:43

Hi Stephen,

Another remarkable image from your collection. This scene has everything; the power of the ocean, some glorious rocks to fill the foreground, the lighthouse watching over and the natural and soothing tones. It is a fantastic arrangement. The silky motion blur on the water surface is a wonderful detail. A shot full of action, natural beauty and strong rocky textures. You are an asset to this community. Excellent work.

Matt

Dragut (14) 2010-12-03 21:46

Hi Stephen

Very nice capture. lights and contrast well managed...good job with photoshop..it seems a HDR view

cargus (6460) 2010-12-03 22:36 [Comment]

Show Comment

delpeoples (45006) 2010-12-03 23:15

Hi Stephen,

Another fantastic seascape from you, with a real difference. The technical quality (and your explanatory note) is exceptional. I'm glad you decided to freeze the waves like this instead of doing a longer exposure. My sister-in-law had a caravan at Fannad for years and only recently sold it. So I know this area really well, but obviously not as well as you do to have found this little gem.

Great job, enjoy your weekend,
Lisa

chawax (14906) 2010-12-04 5:35

Hi Stephen,
I am so sad I had not time to visit this place when I had holiday in Donegal a few years ago :( The photos you posted make me think this place looks very nice, doesn't it ? I love your POV with the stones and the waves in the foreground and the lines of the cove that drive our look to the lighthouse top of the cliffs. Excellent colours as usual. Well done !
Regards,
Olivier

federico (1601) 2010-12-04 7:48

hi stephen great job you have done, the use of flashlight has been very good and the POV definitely great! very original the frozen wave in the foreground
best regards
fred

dta (51480) 2010-12-04 7:55

Hello Stephen ,
For sure , another great job from you . The POV is spectacular , the composition outstanding in this vertical format , the lights so well managed . But What i appreciate most in this picture , is the fact that the water looks almost natural . That is not always the same in your others captures , but it is your choice , and I respect a lot your great photo work .
Best regards .

zeynepe (9828) 2010-12-05 3:01

What a spectacular view...
congrats and enjoy your Sunday
Zeynep

SteveH (6155) 2010-12-05 21:37

Hi Stephen, great idea, using the flash to freeze the waves and the long exposure for the rest. Did you do this using one expsoure or two? I guess one, and that your camera allows you to override the exposure it chooses with the falsh activiated? cheers, Steve

pauloog (11735) 2010-12-11 3:11

Hello stephen,
You found the right angle and split moment to bring this lively and almost dramatic view marked by strong lines and blue-grey tones of both the sky and water, and a touch of sunshine at the right place.
Regards,
Paul

fds (5317) 2010-12-19 15:23

very beautiful picture with great colors

fotka (2320) 2011-01-07 13:35

Hi Stephen,
It's almost hard to believe that you shot 40 min after sunset. But because you used full illumination of the bulb the photo looks as was taken during the day. The picture remind me to a painting and is beautiful. The use of colors and colors are excellent.
Regards,
Zbigniew

i9l2y1m8a8t3 (4435) 2011-01-19 18:37

Hi Stephen,

Again, I can;t stop commenting on your photos, they are very remarkable. Very informative note, thanks for that. I like the way how you presented this forbidden cove in a very interesting way. Nice contrast between the blurred waters against this frozen wave. Again, excellent light management, the texture of the stones are sharp and crisp. Great Capture!

All the best,
Matthieu

azizbilgili (2111) 2011-04-05 7:07