Storm Strait
In the past two weeks I have posted several pictures of waves on rocks during a storm – one a series of shots from the same tripod setup but at different exposures, another with details that appear to be miniature landscapes and one of a stormy bay. These were all taken on the same evening as today’s image. This one is taken at the bottom end of Crescent Street (map) looking south south east along the beach in front of the Chinese Cemetery. It was taken well after the other ones, the light had pretty much failed and it is looking away from the sunset rather than at right angles to it all of which contributes to a different feel than the other pictures.
This view is looking across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Washington State. The lights are in the Port Angeles and Sequim areas, though some may be vessels in the American shipping lanes. The wind was blowing very strongly by this time and I had to push a tripod leg into the ground to hold it steady, with myself planted firmly too. The waves were washing right over the rock sometimes, though in this shot I think not. The others from this vantage are very blurry and not so interesting as a result and I think that is from the waves. This shot could do with better light, but I like the moody dark feel of it and the way the rocks and clouds converge.
I think the black and white works best. The colour version below is uncorrected except for being quite heavily desaturated and is probably so blue from both the low light and the polarising filter. The colour adjusted version at the bottom is pretty nice too, but overall I think I prefer the black and white. Opinions happily received.
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Canon 5D MkII, with Canon 50mm/f1.4 lens, polarizing filter, ISO 100, 30 seconds at f5.
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burnt embers 
These are stunning! I always love to see what you have done. I also love the tips you give. I like all the photos, but I think I’m partial to the last one, with the hint of pink in the sky and a touch of it on the rocks….nicely done!
I have a question…my friend is new to WP and has the same template as you do. She is having problems loading photos (after not having problems for 2 wks). When she publishes she will have one photo and just the texts for the rest. Have you had any problems loading photos….? Any tips on that? Thanks, ehpem.
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Hi Judy – thanks so much. I have not had trouble uploading files. What I do is first generate a copy of the images at a lower resolution. Then I upload all those images at once – one can highlight numerous images all at once and then go get a coffee while they upload. If I miss one then I go back and upload another. Then I enter them, one at a time as required, through the gallery tab, in the places that i want them. If your friend continues to have problems they can write to me at ehpemm at gmail dot com and I will see what I can do to help.
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To be honest, while I like all three, I think the original color version has the most mood. Re the b/w…I’d be inclined to add a bit of contrast, but that’s to taste. Regardless, a very set.
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Hi kerry – I don’t have any good software for those kinds of modifications – I gave it the best shot I could with what I had, but it felt to me too like it could do with more. One day I will have the tools, and a bunch of images just waiting for another tweak or two.
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I am torn between the b&w and the colour adjusted one, but if pressed I’d have to go with the colour adjusted version. The muted tones (wonderful, by the way!) break things up and make my eyes want to wander over the picture. In fact, I wouldn’t mind stepping into that scene. It’s beautiful. 🙂
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Its turning out to be pretty unanimous for the adjusted colour. Thanks for your comment, much appreciated. Helps me to look at the pictures with fresh eyes.
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Great tonal range, but I like the third one, with the subtle colors, best. So evocative!
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Hi composer, I was just out near this spot and noticing that exact bluey-green colour in the water again today.
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Oooo, I like this! It has an almost dreamy and ethereal feel to it, my friend!!
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A musician commenting in my home said it would make a good album cover for moody music. Possibly a touch too chilly to sell records, but there is a mood there for sure.
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Lovely. I like each one – they all have a different appeal. The shot is gorgeous – I love the lighted horizon line.
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Thanks Ryan – I find the middle one awfully cold, but that was the way it was, so suitable.
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Nice shot. I like the treatment of the first and third. Beautiful and educational. Thank you.
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Hi Danita, glad that you are finding something to learn from them. That is partly why I put them all up, to share my own learning curve.
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me too, the colour adjusted one. The first one certainly conveys the feeling of a gray day but there are limits to the amount of gloom I feel like indulging in at the moment so its nice to see a hint of warmth in the sky over the Olympics. Mario
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Hi Mario – good point about having a tolerance for only so much gloom at this time of the year. It was gloomy and the colour in the sky was not evident until the long exposure found it so the grey gloom is more the way it was to be there, minus the howling wind. Perhaps that’s why I like it better, though I do see the attractions of the corrected one and if I had corrected the image first rather than going straight to black and white, I might not even have tried the black and white.
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I actually like the color corrected version best. I like the peachy glow of the light along with the difference in color of the clouds and sea. The horizon line balances the rocky foreground so well. It’s a nice shot and has no indication of the winds you describe. Everything looks very soft and peaceful.
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Hi Douglas – thanks for your comment. I like these kinds of lit up horizon lines where there must be an opening on the distant side of the clouds, or something to make it brighter than expected (especially because it is land and a mountain range starting here, not open ocean).
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Amazing shots!
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Hi AnaLucia – I found this comment in my spam folder for some reason! Thanks for commenting, its been nice having you viewing my blog for the past while, I appreciate that you keep coming back 🙂
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