Photographer exposes himself waiting for the perfect sunset!

[Colin Southern]

3 guesses who! (Nice and warm in my feather jacket, despite the shorts!)

[carregwen]

Do we get that one of you in the shower next? Nice sunset colours, and good composition.

[Colin Southern]

And here's the final image ...

Canon 1Ds3 with EF 16-35mm F2.8L USM II lens @ 25mm 20 minutes @ F22 @ ISO 50 with Singh-Ray Vari-ND Filter (@ approx 7 stops).

[Colin Southern]

Do we get that one of you in the shower next? Nice sunset colours, and good composition.

LOL - thanks Rob. That would be one shot that would void warranties and destroy sensors!

[Donald]

Now you see 'im, and now you don't!

The bench is, I think a bit too intrusive. How would it have been with a slightly higher viewpoint, thus having bench more set against the land than the sky?

The capture of the light on the bay is just sensational.

[Colin Southern]

The bench is, I think a bit too intrusive. How would it have been with a slightly higher viewpoint, thus having bench more set against the land than the sky?

Hi Donald,

I disagree

Seriously, it was an option, but personally I like the unusual perspective ... I suspect that raising the camera elevation might just make the shot more ordinary looking. The other thing was there were actually some cruddy clouds hanging around the mountain ridge that are nicely hidden by the back of the seat, so that was a bonus.

The capture of the light on the bay is just sensational.

To be honest, I've marked the 6th and 7th on my calender to reshoot this scene -- that's when there will be high tide @ sunset, which should make a big difference, assuming the clouds co-operate. So "stay tuned"

[arith]

I think it is a very clever photograph; I like benches, I walk from bench to bench and if I'm somewhere new I'm always looking for a bench.

The image evokes feelings of loneliness, and I like it.

[Colin Southern]

I think it is a very clever photograph; I like benches, I walk from bench to bench and if I'm somewhere new I'm always looking for a bench.

The image evokes feelings of loneliness, and I like it.

Thanks Steve - I know what you mean; I like benches too, I just don't seem to get them in photos that often, unfortunately.

[Klickit]

I'll be waiting for the one with the tide in. Was looking at those mud flats and could just about smell 'em. But re the bench high or low - I'm gonna go with Colin on this one. It adds something for me.

[Donald]

But re the bench high or low - I'm gonna go with Colin on this one. It adds something for me.

Okay, Okay. I know when I've called it wrong!!

[Shadowman]

I like the first image as well. Great shot.

[CNelson]

Very nice, I like both but the first shot best....the person in the image adds interest as I see it.

Chuck

[rick55]

I vote with both Donald and Chuck (Donald's original vote ). I don't think the bench adds to the original shot: it may be necessary to hide the "cruddy clouds," but it just gets in the way of the sunset for me. It doesn't give me any feeling of, "Here's an empty bench, why isn't anyone viewing this sunset?" It doesn't work for me. I think the it would have been great with a bag or a newspaper on it, to suggest a person who isn't in the frame. With the empty bench, I see it as an intrusion, not part of the story.

With Colin there, it's quite different: a person on the bench, to draw one's attention, then look through to the sunset.

Cheers,
Rick

[atlantean]

Agree with Rick. The silhouette of the person sitting on the bench weighs the mood of the photo down more, which adds something new to this landscape. (i mean it is much more interesting than the normal landscape shot !)

[arith]

I agree with Colin; I've seen a trillion sunsets and not surprisingly they all look the same. But the bench is something for you to sit on putting you in the picture and you cannot be lonely if your sitting on it with company.

If your inclined to watch sunsets, you have to be your own kind of person. The bench is important because it is vacant.

[carregwen]

I think the original (with Colin) is much better than the second one. I know the proportion of the bench is about the same in both shots, but having a figure in the first one adds to the mood of the shot. Without the figure the bench looks too intrusive.

[arith]

I think you think people have to be led by the nose; and you might be right because there is a lot of thick people around. I'm not into making life simple for thick people so are against putting somebody on the bench.

[rick55]

I think you think people have to be led by the nose; and you might be right because there is a lot of thick people around. I'm not into making life simple for thick people so are against putting somebody on the bench.

Well, gee, thanks. I said it gets in the way of the sunset for me.

I imagine that there could be images of an empty bench against a sunset that would evoke a reaction from me like, "Here's a park in the sunset, not just another sunset," or "Here's a sunset, it's a shame no one's watching it." But the second image doesn't do that for me. It's a beautifully captured image, but it isn't as evocative as the first, to me.

Cheers,
Rick

[Colin Southern]

Ah - I love the smell of napalm in the morning

The other "problem" with the me there / me not there issue is that ultimately the better shot will be the long-exposure one to get the cloud movement, and unfortunately I can't stay still for 20 minutes (the top shot was 2 1/2 minutes, which was bad enough).

Neither shot will be a keeper, but I do like the composition, and will see what I can get when high tide & sunset come together in about 10 days, but at that time I'm afraid it'll probably be a shot without me in it (I can't imageing anyone would want a shot of me hanging on their wall -- unless somebody's trying to punish someone else!).

Thanks for the comments though

[Mike in UK]

Colin,
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, the perfect sunset! I have a similar obsession, but your long exposure technique is something I haven't tried, yet!
Spectacular results!
I cant wait to see the high tide shots, if the water is calm the reflection of sky and hills should be sublime.
P.S. I agree about where the bench should be, any lower and it would be lost in the background.
Cheers,
Mike.